Harleywing: Part Five
by GraysonandQuinn
Summary: Nightwing and Harley Quinn, once enemies, are now lovers. Engaged and expecting, the rest of the family watches as their relationship unfolds, but none are certain if it will be for better or for worse- or if death will part them. Everything has been leading to this moment- with the Joker still out there, what will they sacrifice to save each other, or to save their family?
1. At Least I'm Happy

_**It's the beginning of the end.**_

 _ **In the wake of the Mad Hatter and the Joker's criminal escapades, their targets were left damaged- including Harley's niece Jenny and Damian's closest friend outside of the family- Carrie Kelley. Everything's silenced again, and Gotham is quiet. For the most part.**_

 _ **Gossip is whispered in the streets; playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne is getting married. Under the radar, however, is the buzz about returning bridesmaid Pamela Isley, who shows up to Dick and Harley's picture-perfect home just as he's about to head out on patrol.**_

Harley moved the couch throw pillows before looking at them and moving them back to how they had been. Dick grabbed her hand when she went to refold a blanket.

"Everything looks fine," he laughed.

"I know, I know," Harley sighed, glancing around the room. "We don't have enough plants," she groaned.

"I'm sure she'll remedy that," Dick smiled.

"But what if she's disappointed?" she asked.

"Harley," he laughed lightly. "She loves you. She isn't going to care if you don't have flowers. If you want, I'll go out to get some more…" It would be the fifth time he'd run to the store. Harley had been bustling about all morning making sure that the entire house was spotless, and not just cleaned; she'd successfully converted every room into the pages of a _Better Homes & Gardens _magazine. Dick tried to keep up, buying groceries and Christmas decorations and every little thing that Harley asked him for. He'd done his best to clean himself up, and Harley had suggested they put makeup on him to soften the dark color of the angry bruises still blossoming across his left cheek and over his nose. The cut at his hairline had mostly healed and was covered by his bangs; she'd wanted to cover the fading bruise on his neck, it still made the scar across his throat stand out, but Dick had turned down the makeup.

Harley turned to him, frowning at his t-shirt tucked into the front of his torn jeans. His socks were still damp from kicking his snow boots off at the door, and a hoodie with a stain looking suspiciously like blood on the collar was draped over his shoulders and pulled up to his elbows.

"No you don't- but- What's on your collar?"

Dick looked down at it and shrugged. "It's a hand-me-down from Jason." Harley looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Please go change?"

"What?" Dick stared at her, and then broke into a grin. "Oh I'm sorry, do I not look right against the backdrop of your picture-perfect little home?" he teased. "Do I need to look like a soap opera protagonist, or a Calvin Klein model? Do you want me to unbutton my shirt halfway down my chest? Do I need-"

"-No." Harley puckered her lips. "I want you to be you… just maybe the cleaner you." She fidgeted with the front of his shirt before smirking. "Although a half buttoned shirt…"

Dick laughed before turning around and taking the stairs two at a time. Wally sprinted after him, and Clark licked Harley's hand, wagging his tail lazily as he looked up at her. Harley scratched his ear.

"You know if Red hates dogs, we're going to have a serious problem," Harley told him. She heard Dick cry out from upstairs.

"Dammit- Harley! Call Wally down the idiot is staring at me again-"

Harley laughed as she whistled shrilly, and Wally came bounding down the steps, falling down the last three and flopping onto the carpet. He leapt up and sprinted to her, jumping up and barking happily.

"Calm down crazy," she laughed. Wally ran around her, knowing better than to jump on her. He licked her hand. She scratched his head absentmindedly. It had been stressful lately, and she wanted this to be perfect. Damian hadn't come back since the night Carrie was arrested, but Harley thought she'd wait another day or so before she went to see him at the Manor. Once he'd left, Dick had spent the day covering the house in Christmas lights before making her watch _Frozen_ again. Then Harley had gotten the call from Ivy.

The doorbell rang. "Dick! She's here!" Harley yelled up the stairs, shooing the dogs as she headed toward the door. She flung it open and smiled at Ivy.

"I hate planes," Ivy complained.

"Shut up." Harley laughed and pulled her in for a hug. "I've missed you."

"You're always so clingy," Ivy mock whined. She hugged her back. "You look well." She stepped back and studied Harley.

"You too. The rainforest suited you." Ivy was her pale human self, except now she had some color; although she did look out of place in a thick winter coat.

"It's freezing in this hemisphere," she muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Harley opened the door wider. "Come inside."

Ivy stifled a cry as Wally and Clark started barking, jumping around her feet. A sharp whistle called the dogs to the stairs as Dick walked down, smiling dashingly as he put his hands in his pockets. Harley raised her eyebrows. He'd changed into clean, nice jeans and a deep maroon button down. It was unbuttoned down a bit, exposing his collarbone and the barest hint of his strong chest. He'd combed his hair back and it fell beside his cheek, highlighting his handsome face, and the bruises did nothing to detract from his features. "Ivy. Nice to see you again. And not trying to kill me, for once." He stopped beside Harley, still smiling as he shook Ivy's gloved hand. "Let me get your bags." Dick walked past her and out the door.

"How have you been? What have you been up to?" Harley asked, lacing her arm through Ivy's as she led her into the living room.

"I haven't been doing-"

"-Don't you dare say you haven't done anything," Harley told her. "You were out of here so fast like it was important. What have you been doing these months?"

"Just some research, Seeing new plants." Ivy insisted. Dick came back inside and closed the door behind him, glancing at the two women in the living room.

"I know I'll get kicked for saying this, but did your sudden trip to the Amazon have anything to do with a certain former Robin? Every time we ask what the hell happened between you two, Jason says to ask _you_. So, um, what the hell happened between you two?" Dick breathed, cold air clouding from his lips as he dusted the snow off of his dark shirt and put her bags down. Harley shot him a look, and he glanced between them. "What… is that a girl-talk thing? Do I have access to that information?"

"There's not some super secret information," Ivy told him. "I had the opportunity to go and do some on site research. As for Jason, you'll have to talk to him about… whatever it is." She sounded bitter. "He wanted me to go."

"That's not how he puts it," Dick shrugged, kicking his boots off. He picked up her bags again and took them upstairs to the guest room.

"I'm really glad you're staying here, Red," Harley told her. Ivy nodded slowly, watching her. "Okay," Harley suddenly burst out, "you know I'm not going to let it drop. You and Jay? What happened?"

"I told you." Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Don't try that attitude with me. Spill."

"It's nothing."

"Yes it is," Harley pressed. "What happened?"

"Nothing!"

"What won't you tell me?"

"Because I don't know," Ivy cried. It was silent for a moment. "I don't know what happened, okay?" She rubbed her forehead. "He had clearly moved on, so I decided to get some space to do the same."

"So you felt the need to go halfway around the world to get space from someone you had never even admitted to dating before?" Ivy didn't answer. "That's dumb. I missed you, and you left for stupid reasons. I bet you didn't even do any fun research."

"I made some new plant hybrids-"

"-No, no, not good enough." Harley turned away in mock anger, and Ivy rolled her eyes at her antics. Dick came back down the stairs and sat down on the couch beside Harley, draping an arm over the back. She could smell the faint familiar aroma of his cologne.

"Uh-oh, she's got the 'I'm mad at you but not really but really' face on... what, you won't tell her why you and Jay broke up? Or didn't break up or whatever- I know he's just _dying_ to see you. He was so excited when he heard that you were coming to the wedding." He grinned at Harley, and she shoved his chest.

"Stop being mean, or I'll be fake mad at you."

"You were fake mad at me at _least_ six times today, I don't know that one more would affect me much. Not much more than the first one, anyway," he glanced at Ivy, "she threw a mixing spoon at me earlier."

"You ate half of the batter and gave the other half to the dogs," Harley whined. "There was barely any left to use."

"You made more," he waved a hand dismissively. "If you're hungry, she prepared a _ton_ of food. She worked all day on it. Granted, there were a few times when I was distracting her."

"Why do you think I kept sending you on errands? To get you out of the way." Harley smirked.

"Ouch," Dick scoffed, but he couldn't keep a smile from flickering across his lips. He got up and walked into the kitchen. "If I'm not wanted, maybe I'll just go over to Will's to watch something and have a beer."

"I thought you didn't drink," Ivy pointed out. Dick ignored her.

"And what makes you think Will wants you?" Harley laughed. "You'd end up watching _Frozen_ with Lilly and drinking a juice box, and you know it."

"Good! Maybe I want to watch that movie again, since I can't watch it here!" he called back to her. Ivy gave Harley a questioning look.

"Why can't he-" she asked, but was cut off as he started belting out 'Love is an Open Door' from the kitchen.

"Your wailing is upsetting Clark!" Harley called. "He's scratching at his ears!" Clark didn't even look up from where he was napping on the tree skirt.

"You like my singing voice, and you know it!" He laughed. "Jason is the tone-deaf one." Harley rolled her eyes.

"You two are so happy it's almost disgusting," Ivy told her.

"At least I'm happy," Harley countered. "You hated it when I cried."

"Oh please no more crying."

"I second that!" Dick shouted from the kitchen.

"No, ganging up on me! She's my friend," Harley called back.

"Yeah well, she's also my help line when it comes to you," Dick came back into the room and handed Harley a mug of hot cocoa. "She cried I think three times last week, once, _literally_ over spilled milk. Can I get you something to drink? Water with an extra shot of Miracle-Gro?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Don't you have to get Batman's permission before telling jokes?" Ivy asked. Dick smirked.

"I make jokes when I feel like it. I'm a rebel like that." He winked at Harley, raising his own mug to his lips.

"Careful, your dangerous streak may scare her," Harley teased.

"If she's seen Jason naked, nothing can scare her," Dick put his mug on the coffee table. "Did we tell you about his stripper friend? Her name was Flower. Lovely redheaded girl. Seriously, can I get you something to drink? Don't want you wilting."

"Im not going to- Wait- What? Who?" Ivy looked between them as Harley frowned at Dick. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Ivy. Harley couldn't tell who he was trying to provoke, her or Ivy.

"The bachelor/bachelorette parties were _quite_ eventful. Jason brought a stripper named Flower home," he glanced at Harley. "What? It's relevant. Ish. And we really did miss you at the parties, by the way." Dick added, and he sounded genuine.

"Yeah, maybe you could have refrained from getting as blackout drunk as everyone else. It was ridiculous," Harley was talking fast, trying to cover up the awkward subject of Jason and another girl. "I'm glad you're here now for the rest of it. I mean, I'm sure you'll hate all the wedding stuff. But you'll have to put up with it again, so get used to it. You're obviously going to be in my wedding, and you do know I'm engaged right?"

"Not exactly, but I figured you would be by the time I got back here." Ivy genuinely smiled. "Congratulations." Dick smiled and walked around the couch, and he kissed Harley's head as he sat beside her. He looked like he couldn't sit still, his fingers tapping the side of his leg.

"Thanks." Harley grinned at Ivy, grabbing Dick's hand to stop him from fidgeting. "We have quite a bit to catch up on. Oh, and then my neighbor, Molly. I invited her over because I think the two of you- Dick!" Harley smacked his hand to stop it from fidgeting with her fingers. "Just go. You're way too anxious to be here. Go visit Bruce and get some of your energy out."

"No, I'm fine," he insisted, smiling. Harley and Ivy stared at him. "Okay! Jeez, I'll head out, and leave you two to your girl talk. Or whatever," Dick stood up and walked out of the room. A bit later he came back, wearing his Nightwing uniform. The lightweight, black, bulletproof fabric conformed to his body and moved with his muscles. He'd upgraded to a new uniform; sleeker, more streamlined, his escrima sticks now strapped to holsters on the outside of his thighs. The sharp red stripe across his chest bled over his shoulders and down his arms, wrapping around his middle and ring fingers elegantly. It stood out brightly against the dark fabric tight around his torso. Pockets lined his hips in two sharp red streaks angling down from his hips. The collar was higher than before, with a built in voice changer pressed to the throat. Also equipped in the suit, like the rest of his family's uniform upgrades, was a tracer, a sensor to monitor vitals, and brand new comms built into the masks. He smiled, and the action contrasted oddly against his angular mask, sharp points gripping his forehead and lining his cheekbones from the corners. Red shadowed in a thin line under the white lenses of the mask. "You girls have fun," he took Harley's hand and helped her to her feet, kissing her gently.

"Please, you're making me sick," Ivy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling a bit. Nightwing smirked, inhaling deeply as he kissed Harley passionately; one of his hands rested on her belly, and the other slid to her cheek as he stepped closer to her. Harley giggled into his kiss. When he finally pulled back, Nightwing grinned.

"I love you," he stroked a thumb over her cheek. Harley kissed his nose, giggling.

"I love you too." Nightwing stole another kiss, and then another- and another- "Stop it! Dick!" Harley laughed as she pushed him away, smiling and blushing. Nightwing laughed and bit his lip.

"Have a good night, Harles," he beamed. When he gave her a quick kiss again, he ran to the back door laughing before she could hit him with a throw pillow.


	2. Watermelon

_**Nightwing's ready for action.**_

 _ **He can't say he's missed it. But he has, in a way. It hasn't been long since the incidents at the Gotham Theatre and the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties; still- staying at home with Harley is all well and good, but the mask calls.**_

 _ **His excitement is short-lived when Batman benches him yet again, and at the house, even Ivy has some to say about Harley's homey demeanor. Dick heads home once again to his pregnant fiancee, wondering when- and if- he'll ever be needed by Batman's side again. He can't say he misses it...**_

Nightwing planted his boot on the stone floor of the Batcave, kicking out the stand on his motorcycle. He stepped off, his footfalls echoing in the ceiling disappearing into the darkness. The massive computers cast a glow over the open area where Red Hood, Robin, and Alfred stood behind Batman sitting at the desk. Nightwing smiled.

"Good evening, fellow vigilantes. What's on the table for tonight?" he said brightly, stopping at Alfred's elbow. "Ooh, tea." He grinned, taking a cup off of the tray. He held the saucer in one hand, drinking the steaming tea from the cup in the other. Robin stared at him, arms crossed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded. Batman turned in his chair.

"What do you mean? I'm here for patrol. Why is _he_ here?" he asked, looking at Jason. He shrugged, his helmet under his elbow.

"Not like I have much else to do. Thought I'd lend a hand, out of the goodness of my heart," he smirked. Robin glared at him.

"He was evicted from his apartment. He has nowhere else to be, and he's been leeching off of Father for the week," he said coldly. He'd returned to his usual scornful demeanor.

"Okay first off, I wasn't evicted from my apartment, it was condemned. And second, I'm not _leeching_ ," Jason complained through a mouthful of sandwich.

"Please," Robin snapped in return. "We're here to work. Finish the food that doesn't belong to you, and let's _go_."

"I second that," Nightwing said, putting his empty teacup on Alfred's tray. "Thanks Alfred. I'm here for patrol," he repeated.

"I swear to God, if I have have to listen to him sing over the comms again…" Jason pointed at Nightwing.

"If I have to listen to you _speaking_ over the comms again," Robin hissed.

"Listen here you little-"

"-Enough," Batman cut him off. "With the Hatter in custody and the Joker inactive for now, I don't need all three of you out on patrol tonight." Batman looked between them. "There's not enough city or patience to separate you."

"How unfortunate you'll be staying behind, Todd." Robin smirked at him.

"If anyone's skills are unneeded, it's yours pipsqueak."

"No. Robin stays with the Batman," Nightwing pointed out, and Robin nodded. Batman looked between the three of them, and then his gaze settled on Nightwing.

"Go home," he growled. Nightwing's jaw dropped.

"Oh come on! You're gonna pick _them_?! I drove all the way over here, and you're gonna bench me?!" he cried. "You know I can help!"

"I know," Batman said calmly. "But right now, I need these two, and no more. It's unnecessary to coordinate that many people. You're right, Robin stays with the Batman, and this way, I can keep the Red Hood under my watch. If he's with me, then he's not out roaming the streets. Nightwing- _Dick-_ you have a fiancée at home who is eight months pregnant. Go home." Nightwing knew the real reason he wanted Robin with him was so he could keep a watch over him as well. He was still concerned with how Robin was taking everything.

"But I-"

"-I know you can help. You always have. At the moment, however; I don't need it." Batman concluded. Nightwing nodded curtly.

"Looks like Robin Senior can't compete," Jason mocked.

"Looks to me like Father is sacrificing one of his best so he can keep tabs on his worst," Robin retorted.

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that," Jason told him.

Robin scoffed and was about to answer when Batman talked over them. "We don't need you out there tonight, and you should go home and rest. After the other night…" He trailed off. Nightwing's throat tightened at the thought of the burning circus tent. He'd gone there earlier today, and it hadn't been a pretty sight. The tent, the stands, most of the equipment- ashes. "Robin and I are handling Uptown Gotham, Red Hood will be in Midtown-"

"-and I've got Downtown," Catwoman beamed, walking towards them as she tucked her hair into her cowl. She stopped beside Batman and glanced at him, challenging him to argue.

"Selina, maybe you should-"

"-No, you're _right_ , Bruce. _Selina_ should go," Nightwing mocked. "I'll go home so you can use _your_ fiancee in the field."

"-That's not-" Batman tried to argue.

"-Selina on the comms is worse than he is!" Jason whined. "The flirting is unbearable."

"Yeah, me on patrol doesn't seem so bad now, does it?" Nightwing raised his eyebrows. "Nope, that settles it. I'll go home. Selina, have a good time. You deserve to go out. You never get to anymore, anyway," he waved a hand as he walked back to his bike. Catwoman beamed, neither of them giving Batman much of a choice.

"No- but- that's-"

"-Don't argue, Sweetie." Catwoman put a hand on Batman's chest. "Or I'll go out without you."

Nightwing laughed as he got on his bike and started the engine. "Have fun, Bruce," he called over his shoulder, and then sped out of the cave.

* * *

Harley rolled her eyes as Ivy and Molly continued to argue.

"But you're degrading yourself being subservient to men," Ivy insisted. "Just look at Harley," she pointed, and Harley glanced up from her knitting. "She could kick anyone's ass, and here she is _knitting_."

"Hey, it's a baby blanket." Harley held up the pink blanket. It was already to size and a little bigger because it was her nervous habit to add a row.

"Case and point." Ivy pointed at Harley. She and Molly were on the couch in Harley and Dick's living room while Harley rocked in the recliner.

"Me knitting a blanket does not make me a housewife, Red. Calm down."

"And there's nothing wrong with being a housewife," Molly pressed.

"Let me guess; you're a stay at home mom while your husband comes home and expects you to have food on the table."

"I'm a teacher actually," Molly sniffed.

"And she can't cook," Harley added. "Well, she's better than Dick."

"But," Molly continued, "if I needed to not work, I would for Lilly."

"But children are different," Ivy insisted.

"It's okay to sacrifice for children, but not someone you love?" Molly asked. "So what, you want the kids without the husband?" Ivy wrinkled her nose at the thought of a husband.

"Or are you just upset about a _certain_ man?" Harley asked.

"You're both ridiculous." Ivy glared at them.

"Please tell me you didn't consider going Brady Bunch for Jason," Harley laughed.

"What? Why would I-"

"-Well you're getting awfully upset at men again. And not in your 'they ruin the world way' but in a 'I'm a butthurt ex way'." Harley grinned at her. "You would have gone housewife for Jay, wouldn't you?"

"This. Is. Ridiculous."

"I bet if you could blush, your face would be the color of your hair," Harley teased.

"And you're not denying it," Molly added.

"There is nothing worth denying," Ivy snapped.

"I told you you'd like her." Harley grinned. The back door slammed, and they could hear Dick singing Christmas carols as he walked through the kitchen.

"Harley! Bruce decided that he was only taking Jason and Damian out tonight, so I guess I'm stuck here," he called, opening the refrigerator door.

"Dick!" Harley cried, sitting up. "Um-"

"-and Selina is going to. Good, maybe they'll figure out their awkwardness-" he paused to drink from the milk jug as he walked into the room and froze. His mask hung from his hand and he pulled the milk away from his lips, a drip falling onto the red stripe across his chest. He stared at Molly.

After a moment, Dick shrugged and took a swig from the milk jug, walking back into the kitchen. His dogs leapt up from the Christmas tree and chased after him.

"So um…" Harley looked at Molly who was staring after where Dick had walked out. She glanced over at Harley, her eyes wide. "Sorry about that."

"He's…" she trailed off. Molly took a deep breath. "Okay. Makes sense." She took a few more gasps of air. "I'm going to need a little time to process." Her voice was weak.

"I'm sorry." Harley blushed.

"No it's… okay? Maybe I should just go home?" Molly stood up.

"Yeah, um, okay." Harley stood up too. "I am _so_ sorry," Harley repeated again.

"No, no. Don't be. I'll… see you around." Molly let herself out. Harley sighed.

"I guess that's goodnight." Ivy stood up, brushing her pants off.

"Night, Red." Harley quickly gave her a hug and turned the lights out; she hurried up the stairs to the bedroom. "That was one of the stupidest things you've ever done," she said as she walked in.

"What did I do?" Dick looked at her over his arms, in the middle of pulling the top of his Nightwing suit off. Wally's wagging tail smacked against his leg.

"I told you Molly was coming over tonight." Harley pointed at him. "Now you just caused some issues between her and Will. He knew this whole time and didn't tell her." She pulled down the covers on the bed. " _And_ , other people have to drink out of that milk you know."

"Nuh-uh, this one's mine. I bought more on the way home, there was hardly any left, anyway," he muttered. "And I didn't hear you say that Molly was coming over tonight."

"That's because _you_ never listen." Harley jabbed him in the chest, smiling slightly as she rolled her eyes. The corner of Dick's lips pulled up in a smile.

"Don't think I didn't see that," he broke into a grin, catching her and hugging her close. "I saw that little smile, you're not mad at me."

"Yes I am. I'm furious," she said with a serious face.

"No you're not. But you're cute when you're pouting," Dick kissed her nose, laughing a little. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her close.

"My pouting isn't cute." She swatted his arm.

"Yes it is. You're cute all the time," he laughed. "It's that damn accent and those glasses and your cute nose and your pouty lips- you're just my kryptonite," he bit his lip, resting his forehead against hers.

"I thought kryptonite was supposed to be a bad thing. For Superman anyway. And you just compared me to a rock," Harley pointed out. "Isn't there something nicer you could've compared me to?" she teased.

"Hey, have you ever seen the stuff? It's strong, and shiny, and it _is_ beautiful," he pointed out. "And it's not a bad thing. It just makes him weak. When I look at you I can barely breathe," Dick smiled, stroking her cheek. His lips brushed hers tantalizingly, and he laughed softly, leaning back. Harley narrowed her eyes at him.

"You are one smooth talker, Mr. Grayson."

He smiled again, one side of his lips pulling up higher than the other in a lopsided grin. "And you are one hell of a woman, Ms. Quinn." Harley rested her arms on his shoulders.

"Oh?" she breathed. "Good because I thought that's why you decided to marry me." She gave him a sly smile. "And I'd hate for it to have been for some other reason."

"Well, you _did_ look really sexy in uniform," he thought, running a hand through his hair. "Even when you had a cork gun aimed at my face, in the back of my mind I was always thinking 'why are the hot ones always evil?'" he smirked. "But I like my crazy girl." Harley laughed.

"You know, your uniform doesn't exactly leave anything up to the imagination. Had to tell myself not to get distracted a couple of times." She grinned at him.

"Jason and Tim tease me about that, but it seemed to work on you," Dick laughed, picking up his button down from earlier off of the floor. He tugged Harley's sweater off and slipped the button down over her arms, buttoning it up her chest. He dropped back onto the bed, taking her with him as he laughed.

"These aren't exactly pajamas," Harley giggled.

"Eh. I'm just wearing boxers, so we get a pass. Plus if you get cold, you can just move closer to me." Dick smiled, pushing her hair out of her face.

"So that was your plan?" Harley laughed. "You wanted to get me cold, so you could warm me up?"

Dick thought for a moment. "Yeah, I'll take that." Harley rolled toward him a little, one of her legs lacing with his as she braced her hand on his chest and smiled at him.

"I'd think for a detective, you'd be a little better at concealing your plans."

"First of all, I was never a 'detective'. I'm good, but that's _Batman_ 's nickname. Tim could take that title, but I don't want it. On the force, I was just a cop. Secondly, maybe I didn't _want_ to conceal my plans," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "Maybe my exposed plan was a diversion," he whispered.

"A diversion from what?" Harley taunted.

"I don't have to tell you," he teased, kissing her neck.

"Oh? Is your master plan still in motion?" She ran her hand from his chest up to his head, running her fingers through his hair. Harley felt him smile against her neck, and he bit her ear, laughing. His hand tightened around her waist.

"I don't have to tell you." Dick repeated.

"Hmmm, maybe I should look for clues." She continued to run her hand through his hair as she propped her other hand under her head. "What do you hope to gain from this plan?"

Dick laughed again, dropping back against the pillow. "Harley! You're going to make me say it?" he whined, still grinning. He caught her hand in his hair and kissed her fingers lightly, closing his eyes.

"Oh you know I'm going to make you say it." She smirked, running her fingers over his lips. Dick smiled, opening his light eyes again.

"I want _you_. You know I do," he laughed, biting his lip.

"In a completely unexpected turn of events," she teased. She pulled his lower lip away from his teeth before leaning in and kissing him. Dick smiled into her kiss, inhaling deeply and pulling her close. His hand tightened on the fabric of her shirt as he closed his eyes tight, holding her even tighter. Her thumb stroked his jaw while her other hand went to the back of his head, sifting through his hair. With a frustrated sigh, she dropped her head on his chest.

"I really want watermelon," she muttered.

"That's what you're thinking about right now?" Dick asked, staring incredulously at the top of her head.

"I'm sorry! The craving just hit me!"

"We… we don't have watermelon. No one does. I mean… I could run to the store, but they don't exactly stock watermelon in _December_ ," Dick sighed, dropping his head back on his pillow.

"Places have watermelon. It's just not as good," Harley reasoned. Dick was quiet for a bit before scooping Harley up and tossing her back on the bed as he stood. She bounced a bit, and he shook his head.

"I'll be right back," he muttered.

"You don't have to go anywhere!" Harley sat up. "I didn't mean-"

"-I'll be right back," he assured her as he closed the door behind himself. He walked down the hall to the guest room and knocked on the door. "Ivy? Are you still up?" After a second, the door cracked open.

"What?" she demanded, standing in front of the opening. The smell of rain forest wafted through the crack.

"Do you think you can grow a watermelon?"

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"Harley got a craving for watermelon right _now,_ and I don't want to go to the store. Again."

"You want me to grow you a watermelon? At twelve in the morning? In your underwear?" Dick stared at her.

"Yes."

She stared at him for a moment, her lips pursed. "Give me a second." She slammed the door in his face. Dick yawned and leaned back against the hallway wall. Ivy opened the door and threw a small watermelon at him. He caught it, nearly missing and dropping it.

"Here." She immediately closed the door again. Dick beamed.

"Thank you!" he called after her, and then he stumbled down the stairs. A bit later, he slipped back into he and Harley's bedroom holding a bowl of freshly sliced watermelon. She was laying on the same spot he'd left her, sound asleep, shivering slightly at the cold. Dick smiled a little and put the bowl down on the nightstand, tucking the blankets around her. He glanced out the window and smiled at the silhouette of Batman on the rooftop across the street before closing the curtains and crawling under the covers next to her.


	3. Today

_**Peace on earth.**_

 _ **And in Gotham, too. The Joker has fallen silent, and Batman hadn't needed Nightwing the night before. Dick had returned home to Harley, his pregnant fiancée. She herself isn't very happy about being benched, but what can they do?**_

 _ **Selina and Bruce's wedding is in just a few days, and there's plenty of things for all of them to be doing. That means, as much as Dick would like to stay in and watch Christmas movies- he and Harley have tuxedo and dress fittings to get to. Oh the joys of a normal life.**_

It had snowed even more that night. The street outside was a sparkling carpet of white, indiscernible from the lawns of the picturesque little houses in the neighborhood. The sun had barely risen, gleaming on the snow from the clear blue sky. Dick exhaled slowly, his head propped up against his pillow as he looked out the window. It was peaceful. The curtains were open a bit, snow lining the frame and frost on the windowpane. He glanced down at Harley, listening to her breathing in the silence. His arm was tucked under her neck, her head on his shoulder. Blonde hair spread over the unused pillow in a halo, soft as honey in the light of the sunrise. Dick lifted his hand from under the covers and pulled a strand away from her face, exposing her thin neck accentuated by the wide collar of his button down hung loosely on her torso, her silver necklace shining on her collarbone. He smiled, studying her face. She was so beautiful.

Harley sighed. "Are you staring at me?" she asked, not moving or opening her eyes. Dick smiled a little, and Wally and Clark stirred at their feet.

"Is that weird?"

"Only if you don't judge me when I do it to you." Harley blinked her eyes open, smiling at him. "I fell asleep didn't I?"

"You didn't even eat the watermelon," Dick said, glancing at the bowl beside her glasses on the nightstand. He inhaled deeply, his bare chest rising slowly with the action.

"And you didn't put it in the fridge so it would still be good to have this morning?" Harley laughed. "Only teasing… for the most part." She ran a hand through his messy hair.

"The rest of it is in the fridge," he smirked. "Even though I dropped out of college, I _am_ pretty smart," Dick smiled down at her, wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"I know." Harley kissed his chest before laying her head back on his shoulder, tracing the scar there with the tip of her finger. "I love that about you."

Dick closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Her gentle touch made his heart skip a beat. "What is it about you that makes it so hard to breathe?" he smiled, looking at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," her eyes softened, "but maybe that's because I'm too distracted by how my heart stops beating when you smile. Or how everytime you touch me it feels like electricity. But breathing, no. That's only when you kiss me." She buried her head in his arm, smiling. Dick laughed a little, his hand guiding her face to his so he could kiss her gently. His lips were sweet and familiar, and she could feel his heart beat faster in his chest when she kissed back. He cut it off too soon, his eyes still closed as he smiled.

"You're right. That does make it a lot harder," Dick said quietly, laughing a bit. Harley rested her chin on his chest.

"And there's that smile." Her blue eyes stared into his. "The one that made me realize I was going to say yes to marrying you, and to buying a house, and having a baby. The one that made me want to be a better person. Be careful with that Mr. Grayson; I think it's your superpower." She grinned.

"If I'd have known that all I had to do was grin at the bad guys, I would've become a vigilante sooner," he smirked, his hand sliding down her waist. It came to rest on the exposed skin at her hip, the button down pulled up a bit.

"I don't know, you were pretty young. Maybe I should have become a villain sooner." She brushed his bangs out of his face. Dick turned his body a bit so that he lay on his side, his arm still supporting her head, his thumb still tracing little circles at her hip. He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You were pretty young, too. Not as young as me, of course, but pretty young," he pointed out, his voice a whisper with his breath against her skin.

"Good thing too. Can you imagine if we found each other when we were fifty?" Harley smiled against his shoulder.

"I don't know if I'd have lived that long," Dick mused, "without you to take care of me."

"You would be so malnourished," Harley agreed. He laughed and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully, his thumb stroking along her hip gently. Dick pulled her closer and kissed her nose.

"We have all day to do nothing. What do you want to do?" he smiled, and then yawned.

"Just lying around all day sounds _amazing_ , but you're forgetting: fittings today." Harley shook her head. "You guys may get your tuxes done in no time, but there is no way dress fittings are fast."

"Oh come on! Well maybe I can get out of mine early and come to yours. You might need help getting into your dress, after all…" Dick smirked, kissing her cheek. Harley punched him lightly in the ribs.

"It's a good thing you're cute," she warned.

"What? I'm _adorable_. And you're a liar if you're telling me _you_ don't think it'd be fun to fool around in a dressing room," he grinned, kissing her ear.

"Selina would kill us," Harley laughed. "It's just a couple hours. Cool your jets, stud." Dick mumbled a response, but it was muffled by his smiling lips pressed to her neck. He kissed down her throat and moved back a bit, his lips trailing over her collarbone. She laughed.

"What did I just say?" She grabbed his face, looking into his eyes. "You're going to work yourself up and be frustrated for the rest of the day," she warned. Dick narrowed his eyes and then smiled, taking her hand away from his face and kissing her fingertips. "Now you're just deliberately ignoring me," Harley accused. He smiled and laced his fingers with hers, catching her lips in a gentle kiss as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. She could feel him smiling mischieviously. Harley kissed him back before resting her forehead against his and shaking her head. "You are just asking for trouble."

"Trouble is my middle name," he smirked, and kissed along her jaw.

"I'm pretty sure it's John," Harley told him, rolling her eyes. Dick mumbled against her neck, inhaling deeply as he smiled. He leaned back and looked at her for a moment.

"Fine, that can be Haly's middle name," he laughed, and then kissed her slowly, one hand cradling her face and the other unbuttoning her shirt.

"But I thought you liked the middle name Martha," Harley whispered before kissing his smile. "Trouble was not what we agreed on."

"Martha is good too," he grinned, laughing a little. His hand slid into her shirt and around her waist, and he kissed her passionately. His hand was cold against her back, but his touch was warm and loving.

Harley wrinkled her nose, pulling away. She looked down and put her hand over where Haly started kicking.

"Speak of the devil," she sighed.

Dick smiled lovingly, and then slid out of her arms. He stood and stretched, yawning; glancing out at the snow plow in the street, he smiled. "Well, I'd better text Bruce and remind him about the fitting," he shrugged.

"She's definitely a Grayson." Harley stretched her back out, her hand still on her stomach. "I think she's doing acrobatics in there there. And I swear she has her toes pointed." She laughed.

Dick smiled down at her, his blue eyes soft in the morning light. He sighed and went into the closet, flicking the lights on. "What time is your dress fitting?" he asked, pushing through the hangers of clothes halfheartedly, tugging a t-shirt off and grabbing a pair of jeans.

"Noon." Harley curled up under the covers again. "Barbara's coming to pick me and Ivy up."

"Sounds like a nightmare," Dick laughed, pulling the t-shirt over his head. He winced a bit as he did so. Harley shrugged before sitting up and getting out of bed.

"I should probably see if Red wants some breakfast… or plant grow or something." She started buttoning her shirt back up. Dick yawned again, buckling his belt. He grabbed his phone, muttering about someone texting him. As he looked up, he grinned.

"Are you going to make me some breakfast?" he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling.

"I'm going to guess you want… omelets," Harley sarcastically guessed.

"You read my mind. But I'm not _really_ that hungry." He stretched, pulling his coat on. "Go see if Ivy wants anything," Dick urged, spanking her playfully. He ran out into the hall before she could retaliate, his laugh carrying with him. Harley glared after him before rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She went to the closet, picking out a maternity tank top and yoga pants and a cardigan. Once she'd changed and tamed her unruly hair, she grabbed her glasses and headed to the guest room. She knocked softly.

"Hey Red, are you hungry?"

"I already ate!" Ivy called through the door.

"Okay but don't forget-"

"-Fittings at noon. I know."

Harley laughed. "Okay." She headed downstairs to the kitchen. Dick leaned against the counter with Wally flopped over in his arms, finishing off the waffle that Dick had given him. He grinned, and Clark stared up at him expectantly. Dick tossed him a toaster waffle. Clark caught it and scarfed it down, wagging his tail happily. Dick smiled.

"Can I _please_ come to the dress fitting with you? Everyone has been acting weird around each other since Carrie, and I can't listen to Jason poke Damian about it any longer," he sighed, dropping Wally to the floor. The dog landed on his back, rolled over and sprinted away; only to fall on the carpet again and smash into Clark's hind legs.

"Sorry. No guys allowed." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before going to open the fridge. Dick groaned in frustration and dropped his head back against the cabinets.

"Please? I can blend in. I can girl talk," he pleaded.

"I don't really think the bridesmaid dresses are your style." Harley stacked things on top of the egg carton, closing the fridge door with her hip. "They're just not your color."

"Purple isn't my color? Helena didn't seem to think so, either," he shrugged. "Please?" Dick begged again, wrapping an arm around her hips and pulling her to stand in front of him. He leaned back against the counter. His hands rested on her waist.

"Dick," Harley set everything on the counter, "you know you can't. Barbara and Selina would throw you out on the street."

"Why!? I can't just sit in the waiting area and comment on the dresses? I want to see, too," Dick frowned, moving his head so he was looking her in the eye again.

"Because you have to get your tux fitted. You can't be the hobo groomsman." She brushed his messy bangs out of his eyes. "You'll just have to wait to see the dresses till the wedding like everyone else." She smiled at him. Dick's lips turned down slightly.

"I always look like a hobo. The literal hobo is Jason though, I don't think he lives anywhere-" Dick glanced up as Jason walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, I am not a hobo," he grabbed an apple from the bowl on their counter, "I'm just keeping my options open. Speaking of, can I crash in your guest room till the fitting? Thanks." He walked out of the kitchen, biting the apple. Harley tried to say something, but he was already halfway up the stairs.

"How long until he's back out the door? I'm putting ten dollars on less than four seconds," Dick mused, watching the stairs. "If they don't kill each other first." There was a loud bang and a strangled cry, and Jason was back down the stairs, walking past them without saying a word.

"Glad I didn't take that bet. Maybe we should have seen if he wanted an omelet though."

"Yeah. I'll bring something to the fitting for him." Dick played with the necklace resting on her collarbone.

"Are you going to let me make the food?" She chuckled, putting her hands over his.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'll get out of your way. Sorry." He laughed a bit, stepping aside. The coffee pot had been brewing, and he picked up his blue thermos, watching her. Harley nudged his hip with hers.

"Do we have any orange juice left?" she asked, starting making the omelet. She pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"I hope so," Dick opened the refrigerator, glancing around. After a moment, he exclaimed in delight and pulled out the half-empty carton. "Here you are, my dear," he chuckled, setting it on the counter.

"You're a savior, fiance of mine." Harley beamed at him, mixing cheese in with the egg. Dick grinned in response and kissed her cheek, pouring the strong coffee into his thermos. The warm smell filled the kitchen. The egg mixture sizzled as Harley poured it into a pan on the stove; she turned to face Dick.

"Less than a month till the baby's born." She smiled, sighing wistfully as she looked at the coffee. "I miss it."

"I know. You can have it soon," he crossed his arms, leaning against the counter again.

"I'll also be able to tag along on patrol soon. Have you thought about how unbearably anxious you're going to be about that?" One corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Dick shrugged again.

"After feeling bad for Selina being locked away for safekeeping, I don't think I'll forbid you. Just don't die."

"That's the plan." Harley took a sip of juice before tending the the omelet. Dick watched her, thinking about their second date together. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he sipped his coffee.

"Wipe that smile off your face," Harley told him as she scooped the omelet onto a new plate. "It makes me think you're up to something."

"What would I be up to?" Dick smiled broadly.

"I don't know. And that's what scares me." She grabbed two forks, heading to the table. Dick followed, laughing quietly.

"My plans always turn out. I'm smarter than you think," he grinned, taking a bite of the omelet.

"They do not always turn out." Harley pushed his fork out of the way, scooting further forward on her seat. Dick laughed.

"I was just thinking about the first time you made me an omelet."

"And you had to work. Yeah. Well at least you don't keep utensils in the freezer anymore." She grinned, popping a piece of omelet in her mouth.

"I ran out of drawers!" Dick protested.

"You could have gotten hooks to hang them on the walls," Harley pointed out. Dick ignored her, feeding some omelet to Wally and Clark. She cut a small chunk off the omelet and slid the rest of it over to her side of the plate with a smirk. Dick shrugged and took it, dropping it for Wally and finishing his coffee. He pulled his beanie over his dark hair.

"I'll miss you," he smiled. Harley dropped her fork on the plate and stood up.

"Have fun." She gave him a quick kiss. Dick hugged her tight.

"Bruce will be crabby, Damian will be angry, Jason will be an asshole, and Tim will be annoyed. Clark might be some fun, until he runs off to be Superman. That's about as good as it'll get. Have fun with Selina." Dick kissed her nose. Wally jumped up on Harley's pulled out chair and started licking up the last of the omelet.

"I'll try, but she's going to be crazy. The wedding is only _two_ days away. And Red's going to be grumpy now that she just saw Jay. What if we both play hooky?"

"We can ditch and go Christmas shopping. Drink cocoa in the mall and play in the Winter Wonderland setup, go see Santa Claus, maybe go sledding..." Dick wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling.

"That sounds amazing," Harley admitted. Dick's phone buzzed with a text, and he glanced at it.

"And that's my cue. They're already getting frustrated at each other." Harley groaned and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah Ivy and Barb would kill me, but..."

"Last kiss," Dick grinned, his lips meeting her's gently. He stroked her cheek and inhaled deeply; she leaned against his chest, Dick's tongue tied with hers. When he finally leaned away his eyes remained closed for a bit longer, before he opened them and the moment was over. His arms were so warm around her. "I love you, Harles," he smiled a little.

"I love you too." She kissed him again. "Now last kiss," she told him, kissing him one more time. Dick laughed, walking to the door. Wally sprinted over and bit his pant leg, yanking on it, and he picked the dog up, stroking his ears.

"Well now you're making me not want to leave," he grinned, and then cried out as the door hit him in the face.

"Dick, I'm here to-" Tim poked his head in, and then glanced at his brother. "Oh. Oops. We're here to get you," he shrugged, snow on his matching red hat, scarf, and mittens.

"Hey Tim." Harley walked into the hall, smiling at him. Clark trotted up to Tim, sniffing and licking a stain on his pant leg. Jason and Damian were waiting in the car. Jason was glaring at the house, and Damian was glaring at Jason. Tim grinned broadly at her, stepping into the house after brushing the snow off of his peacoat.

"Hi Harley!" he took his hat off, his dark hair sticking up around his head. He smoothed it down, and Dick rubbed his nose sorely. He sniffled. "Sorry, we're gonna steal him from you- trust me, I think we'd all rather not do this today. Bruce and Selina already miss each other, and I'd really rather be with Steph- anyway, send Jay's love to Ivy!" he laughed, grabbing Dick's arm and yanking him out the door. Wally sprinted after him and smashed into the door, and Clark looked up at Harley, wagging his tail.


	4. Nine out of Ten

_**A winter wedding.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick have both been dragged into the nuptial chaos of the coming event, both of them in the wedding party. As it draws closer, there's less time spent together, and more time spent placating the happy couple in their panic to get everything done.**_

 _ **Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are finally tying the knot, and it's left Batman with twice the workload. A list of venues that don't include his usual haunts, a guest list with names that aren't Gotham's Most Wanted, and brand new armor for everyone- that don't include a capes.**_

"This is taking too long," Jason fidgeted uncomfortably, his arms stretched out by his sides as the tailor, Jorgé, adjusted his tuxedo. Tim stood nearby while Dick admired himself in the mirror.

"On the contrary, this is going quite _well_ for a final fitting," Damian sniffed, smirking a bit as the tailor's assistant adjusted the collar of his coat. He looked cool and comfortable in his three-piece tuxedo. "Richard what _are_ you doing!?" he snapped, as Dick dropped the tail of his coat back over his butt and looked at Damian in the mirror.

"What?" he blinked in surprise, and Tim laughed.

"I don't think he's ever worn anything this high-class," he snickered.

"Richard _always_ looks like a slob," Damian shrugged. Jorgé turned around as Clark stepped out of the fitting room, smoothing his lapels down on his broad chest.

"Perfect. I shall have nothing to do with yours, it fits you well. Big man, you are," Jorgé commented, and Clark blushed as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Well gee, thanks," he smiled sheepishly, and Dick snorted a bit, again looking at his reflection.

The black tie tuxedos were deep ebony, with satin shawl lapels and matching five-button vests. A satin side-stripe ran down the length of the pleated black trousers. The shirt underneath was black as well, in fact; the only splash of color was the elegant deep purple bow tie around his neck, and the pocket handkerchief in the breast pocket of the coat. Dick beamed at himself in the mirror.

"Stop checking yourself out," Jason told him, before yelping as he was pricked with a pin.

"Are you alright, Jason?" Clark asked in concern. Jorgé stepped back.

"Line up, please, groomsmen- in order, so I can see how you'll look," he clapped.

"What's the order?" Tim asked.

"Clark first," Bruce instructed, from the dressing room, "then Selina said go from height after that." Clark stood up straighter and, Jason took his place beside him. Dick and Tim followed, and then Damian stood distastefully beside Tim. Jorgé examined them as Dick pulled out his phone, zooming in on the mirror behind the tailor and snapping a photo as he smirked. With a chuckle, he sent it to Harley.

I look classy ;)

Harley smiled at the picture Dick had sent.

"Guys?" Barbara turned to face Harley and Steph. "Does this fall right?" Harley set her phone aside for a second, giving Barbara her full attention. The deep purple fabric draped over her hips, and she kept fiddling with the black lace shoulders.

"It looks great," Harley assured her.

"Seriously. It shows off that bod." Steph got off the couch and went over to stand by her. "Officer Young will love it." They looked at themselves in the mirror. Barbara's had some pins under the armpits to pull hers together more, and Steph's dress needed to have it shortened at the shoulders. Even though it was only form fitting to the ribcage, the light fabric managed to flow around their waists and hips and accentuate how fit they were. Cass has already taken hers off and was in her normal clothes; nothing had needed to be fitted.

"I just wish I had 'pregnancy' breasts like Harley to fill it out," Barbara admitted, frowning. Harley glanced up from her phone.

"Hey!"

Steph frowned into the mirror. "Yeah."

"I think you guys are forgetting that it comes with some major downsides." Harley shook her head. Barbara and Stephanie shrugged, ignoring her. Harley sighed. They'd ordered her dress a size larger, so it would be able to go over her stomach and still be long enough to skim the floor. There were pins in the back of the skirt, shoulders, and back. "Red, how's it going?" Ivy glared at her.

"This seamstress is useless," she muttered. The seamstress looked slightly frazzled. Harley chuckled.

"Are you trying to convince her to alter something?"

"I merely suggested a split up the side here-"

"-No alterations!" Barbara interrupted.

"Selina would kill you," Harley added. Ivy rolled her eyes. "Don't be so grumpy. You look great."

"Selina!" Steph cried at the top of her lungs. "How is it going in there?! We want to see!"

Harley laughed, finally sending her text.

You always look classy. How fast can you get that tux off? ;)

Dick beamed at his phone, and then looked up as Bruce came out of the fitting room. He grinned broader, and Tim nodded.

"Not bad, Bruce, not bad," he laughed. Damian looked at his father, his head cocked a bit.

"Jorgé, you did a great job," he said quietly, nodding his approval.

Bruce stood with his back to the mirrors, facing them all as he took a deep breath. His suit was the same as his groomsmen, black tie formal with satin shawl lapels and a side stripe down the leg of the trousers. His vest was white, matching his white shirt and bowtie, and the handkerchief in his breast pocket. The white contrasted starkly with his dark suit and jet black hair, slicked back neatly from his square face.

"Well I do know how to wear a suit correctly," Bruce mused, turning to the mirror. Clark grinned at him and stood from where he'd sat down in a leather chair.

"You look good. I'm proud of you," he smiled, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"First let's wait and see if he actually says 'I do'," Jason said, taking his jacket off.

"Ass." Tim smacked Jason on the head.

"What? I'm just saying. Selina could do a lot better than him."

"Oh come on," Tim shook his head. "Have you ever seen Bruce back out of anything? No!" He laughed, glancing at Bruce.

"Of course not," Bruce muttered, lowering himself into a chair. Dick glanced at him, and Clark frowned.

"You're a bit pale, Bruce, are you alright?"

"Just hot, thanks, Clark," he glanced up, loosening his tie. He looked up at Jorgé. "Thank you, these are perfect. As always."

"You can say thank you anytime," Damian grinned smugly. Bruce shook his head.

"You were right, he's a fine tailor," he smiled. Dick looked around the room at the matching suits and smiled, glancing down at his cell phone. Jason narrowed his eyes as Dick smirked.

I can get it off a lot faster with your help than without :)

Harley put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. She glanced up at Steph.

"Selina. Selina. Selina." She kept knocking on Selina's dressing room door. "Come out Selina."

"Oh my God, shut up Steph!" Barbara cried. Cass glared at her too.

"I'm almost done," Selina laughed. "I mean, at least it _fits_ …" she trailed off, smiling at herself in the mirror but not opening the door.

"Let me _see_!" Steph slammed her face against the door.

Selina stepped out of the dressing room, shoving Stephanie aside as she laughed. "How do I look?" she asked hesitantly. The tight, silver and white mermaid gown hugged her thin frame perfectly, the beaded and jeweled detail around the waist accentuating her curves.

Her chest was exposed a bit through a sexy, deep v-neck of the dress, cutting down to just below her rib cage. Selina twirled a bit, beaming. The long sleeves down her thin arms had buttons up the forearm and beaded trim around the cuffs. Down her back was another deep v, cutting down nearly to her butt with satin buttons running down the length of the skirt. There was beading on the shoulders, giving the wedding gown a vintage, classic feel.

"Oh my gosh!" Steph put her hands on the side of her face, smiling.

"You look wonderful," Harley told her. "And that's not a word I use that often anymore."

"You're beautiful!" Barbara hugged Selina. "This wedding is going to be perfect." Harley laughed, and even Ivy smiled.

Harley quickly typed out while Selina rotated in front of the full length mirror:

Lucky for you mine's a simple zipper

Dick's phone buzzed behind him on the table, and he ignored it.

"Bruce it's gonna be fine," Dick assured him. Bruce still sat with his head in his hands.

"No, I don't know what to do. I can't- this- what was I _thinking_ -?!" he groaned. Clark looked down at him worriedly.

"It's okay," Jorgé assured them with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Cold feet is something that happens at the fitting nine out of ten times. He shall be fine."

"I don't want to ruin her life like this," Bruce shook his head. Jason ignored the chaos he'd caused, picking up Dick's phone as it buzzed with a text reminder.

"Dick!" he mock gasped, feigning horror as he waved the phone in Dick's face. He glanced over his shoulder and did a double take when he saw his phone in Jason's hand.

"Give it back, Jay!" he cried, making a grab for it. Jason held it out if his reach.

"Nope." He smacked Dick's hand away. "You deal with Bruce's cold feet while I text your girlfriend- I mean fiancée."

"Jason come on," he groaned, trying to catch it again.

"I don't think so. You must be punished for not paying attention to the fitting. Dishonor." Jason smirked at him.

"Dick, get Bruce some water," Clark instructed. Dick glared at Jason before walking away to the water cooler.

"I don't know… I mean, I _want_ to marry her. And I love her, but I just don't know if she knows what she's really getting into." Bruce looked up at Tim and Clark, covering his mouth. Jason was texting on Dick's phone.

"You know she loves you Bruce," Tim tried to assure him.

"I know," he looked down. "But she's always been rash. She makes decisions without really thinking about them. It's… something I love about her, but still. She said yes. I shouldn't have even asked," he ran his hand through his hair. Dick handed him a paper cup of water, and looked at Jason irritably.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Damian glanced at Jason.

"I'm planning my text," he told Dick. "Do I want to pretend I'm you? Embarrass you? So many things to think about. It's a lot of power."

"Jason-" Dick looked down, rubbing his temples. Bruce sighed.

"You all are right. I mean… she's good for me." Bruce frowned, still not looking convinced.

"Bruce, there is no way she doesn't know what she's getting into," Jason told him, glancing up from Dick's phone. "Trust me, she knows what she's doing." He finished typing out the text.

You really shouldnt send texts like that someone could read them

Harley rolled her eyes when the text came in. _Jason_ , she thought to herself.

"Are you sure it looks good?" Selina asked them. "I want everything to be perfect. I've thought a lot about this, and I just want him to love it."

"It looks perfect," Steph assured her.

"Don't worry. Bruce is going to love it," Barbara added.

"It really is beautiful." Cass stood in the corner like she was trying to escape.

"We'll have to beat the other guys off with a stick. Right Red?" Harley elbowed Ivy.

"Yeah." She shrugged. Harley narrowed her eyes at her.

"You've been grouchy ever since you saw Jason," she accused.

"I have not."

"Oh no," Selina looked at Ivy, frowning. "You two better figure out what the problem is. You… Well you'll have to walk together," she said matter-of-factly, as the dress saleswoman helped her adjust her beautiful vintage birdcage veil on her head.

"We're what?" Ivy demanded.

"Oh, calm down," Harley told her. "You had to know that's who you'd be walking with."

"No I didn't."

Harley glared at her for a moment before grabbing her phone. She sent off a quick text. She stood up.

"I'm going to the bathroom quick. If I get a text before I'm back, will you respond?" She handed the phone to Ivy.

"Um, sure?"

"Okay and we're talking about Officer Young when I get back," Harley warned Barbara.

"What? No." Barbara's face turned red. "It's Selina's day."

"She still has two more days, so suck it up buttercup."

You're an idiot

Jason snorted aloud at the text before responding.

"Dick, you're fiancée is not very nice."

"Depending on what you sent, _yeah_ , she's got some attitude." Dick smirked. Bruce stood up and examined himself in the mirror, Clark standing over his shoulder.

"And you all remember who you're walking with?" Bruce asked, glancing at them in the mirror. "I assume Selina told you? I mean, I tried to help, but I got shot down so many times that I finally gave up," he chuckled, tugging at his collar. He still looked pale.

"I'm with Steph," Tim beamed.

"Cass," Damian offered quietly.

"Wait." Jason sat up. "The maid of honor, so Barbara, walks with Clark, and obviously Dick is walking with Harley. You guys did not leave me with…"

"To be fair," Tim said, "you're one of the only people whose faces she can't melt off."

"You've never seen her when she's angry," Jason countered.

"Who is he…?" Clark asked, glancing at Dick. Dick tried to grab his phone back, to no avail, and sighed angrily.

"Technically, his ex. Pamela," he clarified.

"You have to walk down the aisle, and that's it. Don't be so melodramatic, Todd," Damian smirked.

"Shut up short stack." He glared at Damian before sending another text.

"Do not cause any drama at Bruce's wedding," Tim told Jason.

"No promises."

"No, _promise_ ," Dick glared at him. "Promise Bruce that you won't cause a scene at his wedding just because of your petty fight with Pamela that no one knows a thing about. Promise," he crossed his arms. Bruce raised his eyebrows, smiling slightly at Jason in the mirror. Jason sent one more text before setting the phone aside for a second.

"You want _me_ to promise no drama? 'No one knows a thing about' right? I'm not the one who causes drama around here, Richard."

"Seriously?" Dick rolled his eyes. "Come on, Jason."

"Seriously." Jason picked up the phone again. "Pretty sure Clark is the only one with less drama than me as of late."

"Oh I wouldn't bet on it," Clark snorted, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Yesterday, Lois asked me to go get coffee and I said-"

"-Just don't cause a scene," Dick spread his hands. "That's all I'm asking." He grinned, and then made a grab for his phone.

"Nope." Jason caught him by the shoulder, holding him away. "And look a new text." He held the phone away from Dick. "You're fiancée is _very_ violent. She just threatened to rip my arms off." He laughed. "That almost sounds like-" His face contorted, and he handed Dick his phone angrily. He got up and walked into the dressing room to change. Dick looked down as the phone vibrated.

Ivy just figured out it's Jason. You still there?

yeah, Jay did too haha. what are you wearing?

Harley rolled her eyes before glancing up as Steph squealed.

"Oh my gosh, that's so cute!" Steph hugged Barbara; she recoiled when she got stuck with a pin.

"Are you bringing him to the wedding?" Selina asked, stopping her twirling in the mirror to look at Barbara. "I left a spot for him at the reception. Just in case."

"You guys! Stop it." Barbara hid her face.

"No!" Steph grinned. "I'm going to gush over this all I like. At least your drunken stunt at the bachelorette party didn't drive him away. Although what you were wearing was obviously a turn-on, I mean-" she cried out as Cass punched her in the arm.

"Shut up, Stephanie. Her point is, we're happy for you is all," Cass smiled.

"Awkward question here," Harley spoke up, "but does your dad know you're dating him?"

"We haven't _told_ him, but he was a detective, so… I don't think he's mad. Do you think he's mad?" she bit her lip, and then covered her mouth. "I mean… I guess _I'd_ be mad if my kid kept dating my officers." She blushed.

"It's the uniform isn't it?" Steph asked. Harley laughed.

"It's definitely the uniform." She sent a text to Dick.

About to get out of this dress too bad you're missing out

His response was almost instantaneous.

I can be there in less than five minutes. On an unrelated note, would you like to go ice skating tonight? invite everyone else, too, I've got the groom's side of the wedding on board

Harley stood up. "Come on. Let's get in our normal clothes and let them fix these dresses. And you're all coming ice skating. You too Ivy!" They heard Ivy's noise of distaste from the dressing room. "And Sam is invited of course," she told Barbara. There was a banging on the front window of the shop and Harley turned around to see Dick breathing on the glass. He drew a little heart and then Jason shoved him out of the way, smudging it off of the window and smacking his brother's head. Tim threw a snowball at Jason from behind before quickly realizing his mistake; Jason chased him around the car only to slip on a patch of ice as Alfred watched them distastefully. He held the door open for Bruce and Damian to get out, and Dick pressed his nose against the glass again, waving, with a big goofy grin on his face. Harley opened the door.

"Shoo, all of you. Selina's still in her dress." She couldn't help but smile at Dick's excitement. "Give us all a second to get changed." Dick beamed and ducked in the door as Alfred loaded them all in the car. He followed Harley to the dressing room and unzipped her dress for her, leaning against the wall. "I thought you hated ice skating," Harley pointed out. Dick smiled and pulled her close, kissing her softly.

"I really do. But, you had fun, and I thought it'd be a fun wintery thing for us to do," he said quietly, and kissed her again, his lips chilled from the cold air outside. He'd taken his gloves off, and his warm hands slipped the black lace off of her shoulders. "This is a beautiful dress, by the way."

"You've ruined the surprise of it at the wedding. Darn it." Harley smiled. "I would have liked to see that tux in person, by the way." She put her hands on his shoulders. "Very classy." She unzipped his winter coat. "This just doesn't match up."

"Well," Dick shrugged casually, smiling as he looked down at her. "I try. But according to Damian, I always look like a slob." His hands trailed up her arms lightly, and his lips brushed hers.

"He's definitely right," Harley agreed, her lips smiling against his. "These clothes are terrible, and we should get them off of you right away." She worked his jacket off of his shoulders.

"God I'd like to know how you do that." He grinned, leaning his head back against the wall. He caught her cheeks in his hands and kissed her lips softly, inhaling the scent of her rosy perfume. Her dress dropped around her ankles, and Dick bit her lip, smiling.

"Now you're just cheating. I told you it was a simple zipper." She kissed both corners of his smile as she tugged at the hem of his shirt. Her hands ran up along his chest underneath it, her fingers tracing over his skin. "And that's hardly fair," she murmured against his lips.

"Cheating is half the fun," Dick beamed, picking her up with his arms around her waist. Her legs draped over his hips. His hands ran down her spine, tracing the lithe muscles in her back as he pressed his lips to her collarbone. "I think you told me that, once, while you were beating the shit out of me."

"Did I really? Well that sounds like some sound advice." She shivered at the trail of kisses he was leaving, her back arching slightly. "And might I add how impressed I am at you currently holding two people up with minimal effort," she laughed into his hair. Her hands held tight to his shoulders as he kissed behind her ear. "If I recall, I'm a small elephant."

"You are _not_ ," Dick looked at her pointedly. He closed his eyes and kissed her lovingly, and then jumped as someone pounded on the door.

"You guys can't keep your hands off of each other for five minutes! Come on, put it back in your pants and let's get out of here!" Stephanie shouted, and then cried out. "Ow? What! They are…" she trailed off as she walked away. Dick smiled.

"Rain check. We'll continue this later," he kissed her ear, sighing contentedly.

"You go ahead and say that, but you know I'm going to cheat," Harley told him with a mischievous smile, biting his bottom lip. She unhooked her legs from around his waist, landing softly on the floor. She picked up her pants from on the bench. "What's the saying, an elephant never forgets?" She laughed, winking at him.


	5. A Break

_**It's Christmastime.**_

 _ **And Dick isn't going to let that be upstaged by Bruce and Selina's wedding. Final tuxedo and dress fittings were enough work for one day, and to ensure that his family takes a break from the chaos, he suggests a festive ice skating trip. Open invitations.**_

 _ **After the last time at the skating rink, Dick is still as unsure on his feet as ever. Harley's invited her nephew Nicky in hopes that he and Damian may hit it off, and Jason's invited his new 'team'. Surrounded by friends and family, they can forget about the wedding and their nightly duties; and of course chaos ensues.**_

Harley hummed to herself as she tied her skates, reaching around her stomach. She glanced up when she heard Steph cry out from on the ice. Tim was skating after Jason who was skating backwards away from him, laughing. Harley rolled her eyes.

"Did Bruce really feel the need to bribe the rink to do closed skating?" she asked Dick, standing up on her skates.

"We're kind of a large group," Dick shrugged. "And when you're a billionaire, why not?" he stood, wobbling a bit. He bit his lip and steadied himself, hobbling over to the opening. Dick carefully stepped out onto the ice and slid a few feet, waving his arms. Jason shot past and knocked him over with a laugh, and Dick sat up. "Watch it, asshole!" he snapped, getting unsteadily to his feet again. Harley giggled into her mittens as she skated over to him.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled, straightening up. He wobbled a bit and skated forward with her. Dick glanced in her direction, smiling a bit. "You look cute. And that dress really did look beautiful on you. On all of you. Selina has good taste."

"I got the feeling you liked it better on the floor," Harley teased.

"Ew," Jason hissed, skating by them. He veered across the ice, circling around Tim and Steph. They yelled at him. Damian stuck a skate out and tripped him as he went by. Jason quickly got up, swerving around Cassandra to chase after him.

"I can't argue with that," Dick chuckled, narrowing his eyes at Jason. "How does he do that?!" he cried, pointing at him as he skated a graceful arc, one foot in front of the other. His attention off of his own feet, Dick nearly toppled forward.

"Practice," Harley said, catching his arm. "You'll get better after a while."

"This is crazy. Why can I walk on a tightrope, but not do this?" he cried.

"Maybe you need proper motivation." Harley let go of his hand, skating forward. She turned around and started skating backward in front of him, her hand on her stomach. "You always seem to learn pretty fast when you're worried. I could make you try and catch me," she offered with a grin. "See if I can do jumps."

"Harley don't even joke," Dick's brow furrowed, his dark bangs swooping up from his forehead under his navy blue knitted beanie. His black hooded cargo coat was unzipped at the high collar to expose his neck and collarbone. Ice was still melting on his jeans and his black gloves from his fall. He skated a little faster, still shaky.

"Fine, fine." She skidded to a stop on the sides of the blades and waited for him to catch up. "Wipe the worry off your face."

"Stop giving me reason to worry," Dick muttered, grabbing her hand. He squeezed, smiling slightly. "You don't very often, but stop doing it now." He stared down at his feet, biting his lip.

"I was only joking." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I know you'd just tear your skates off and chase after me."

"Yeah, and that I _can_ do," Dick smiled. His cheeks and nose were pink. Selina and Bruce were on the ice now too. She held tightly onto his arm as she chatted; they made a slow arc around the rink. Jason was hassling Damian, and Cass looked about ready to punch him. Harley and Dick made it to the entrance of the rink just as Alfred walked over.

"I have fetched Nicholas as requested," he told them. Harley beamed as Nicky shuffled over to them.

"Hey! It's good to see you."

"Whatever." He shrugged, skating off on the ice. Harley saw Barbara and Sam entering the building as she and Dick skated by.

"This was a really good idea," she told Dick.

"Yeah. I figured… Every guy needs a break from a crazy girl," he smirked, glancing at Nicky. "It's a lot to deal with."

"Oh, is it? Because I could go see if Damian wants to skate with me."

"Joking, Harley, I was joking," he smiled, elbowing her and nearly knocking himself off balance. He winced, almost falling again.

"And you told me not to joke." Harley giggled, rolling her eyes. "I still can't believe you don't know how to skate. It's not _that_ hard."

"It _is_ that hard!" he muttered as they skated around the curve. Dick cried out as he straightened up a little too high and toppled backwards. "Ow," he groaned, sitting up and looking at her, his hat askew on his head. Harley laughed.

"Don't hurt yourself."

"I didn't," he stood up unsteadily, smiling at her. "I'm ok, I'm ok…" he yawned a bit and then took her hand again. Across the rink, Damian skated towards Nicky.

"Who are you?" he sniffed, cocking his head. His hands were in the pockets of his black wool button down coat, with one buttoned across his chest. His black and gray plaid scarf was tied around his neck and tucked into the collar of his coat.

"Why should I tell you?" Nicky snapped.

"Because you're here alone, and you're not part of my family," Damian shrugged, narrowing his light blue eyes. "But fine, I don't want to talk to you either," he said petulantly, skating away. Nicky huffed, skating the other way.

"Hey!" Jason cried, skating to the opening. "Kori, Roy. I didn't think you'd come."

"I didn't want to," Roy told him, letting Kori drag him onto the ice. Dick glanced over, just as Kori spotted them across the ice. She squealed and sped over near them, beaming.

"Joy! I am so glad to see you both! You look so wonderful, Harley!" Kori giggled, grabbing her hands and pulling them out to her sides, examining her belly. She grinned. "It is the happiest of holidays, and I wish the happiness on you both!"

"Um, thank you?" Harley glanced at Dick, pulling her arms back to her sides.

"Have I crossed the metaphorical line?" she asked hesitantly as Jason skated up next to her. She put her gloved hands up by her mouth.

"Nah," Jason told her. "Just a little warning before you invade strangers' personal space."

"Oh." She giggled a bit. "I suppose I still have not learned that lesson very well. I do apologize, Harley," Kori giggled, her long red hair tumbling down her back and over the chest of her coat.

"You're fine. I should be used to it by now." She shrugged a little.

"Hey," Jason nudged Kori, "let's see if I can steal that kid's hat." He watched Nicky skate by, chasing after.

"Jason play nice with the other kids," Harley called after him. Kori giggled excitedly.

"I am sorry, but I am just so excited. You're so grown up," she cooed, pinching Dick's cheek. He laughed and pushed her hand away. "I am so very happy for you! Keep him out of trouble. And you must let me see the little baby when she is born!" she nudged Harley, and then skated off after Jason, twirling on the ice. Dick rubbed his cheek irritably, muttering to himself.

"Aw, you're so grown up." Harley kissed his cheek, giggling. Barbara glanced away from Sam long enough to smile at them as they skated by.

"Yeah Bruce doesn't seem to think so," Dick smiled, kissing her cheek. He moved a bit unsteadily, but he was getting better.

"That's because he's so tall, he's always looking down on people." Harley laughed at her own joke. Dick snorted, squeezing her hand. Damian skated up to them.

"Why is your nephew such an ass?" he asked, sounding mildly curious.

"Why don't you go ask him?"

"He won't talk to me. I don't care to talk to him, either," he sniffed, crossing his arms behind his back.

"If you don't care, why are you asking me about him?" Harley countered. There was a loud noise as Nicky tripped Jason, putting his hat back on his head with a glare. Damian smiled slightly, watching Nicky skate away from Jason.

"I'm curious," he shrugged. Tim skated towards them.

"Hey Damian, you should go talk to that other kid!" he smiled, his cheeks flushed. Damian's eyes flashed.

"No one asked you, Drake!" he snapped, skating past him and hitting his shoulder. Tim winced.

"Ow! Jeez, little demon…" he muttered, and Steph pulled him away. Dick and Harley started off again; Dick feeling more confident with each stroke of his skates.

"I think I might be getting the hang of this," Dick smiled.

"Careful." Harley grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop as Jason flew by, Damian and Nicky right behind him.

"I don't know about those two. I think they could get along, though. I couldn't break through Nicky's shell. Then again, It's not as easy as it looks, getting through to a Quinzel. And I can't charm my way into the heart of a pre-teen," he smiled, laughing to himself.

"Eh, depends on the gender," Harley giggled. "But who says he needs to break through Nicky's shell? Have we even broken through Damian's?"

"I think someone did, once. You and I, not completely, but I think Carrie did," Dick looked down. "I don't know if he will really trust anyone after that." Harley's hand tightened in his.

"I know. He's looking a little better at least." She watched him and Nicky sizing each other up. "He's young. He has a lot more love to look forward to."

"I know." Dick smiled. "I also know what it's like to fall in love so young, and think it's the only love there is. And someday he'll realize that's wrong, just like I did," he said calmly, and then kissed her nose. "And he'll find the right girl, like you say."

"Why thank you, Sir." Harley giggled. "I may also know a thing or two about thinking you're in love."

"Together, we've got years of experience," he chuckled. "Why, I bet one of us could become a therapist."

"I call dibs!" She beamed at him, swinging one of her legs as she slid across the ice on the other skate. Dick wobbled a bit, and put his hands in his pockets.

"I call dibs on marrying the sexy doctor," he grinned.

"Yes." Harley fist pumped. "Score." She laughed into her mittens. Dick watched her, still beaming at her, admiring the way her honey colored hair shone in the light, falling in waves down her collar. Dick clumsily skated to a stop and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You, my future Mrs. Grayson, are absolutely stunning. Completely breathtaking," he smiled, nuzzling her nose with his.

"And you, my current Mr. Grayson- preferably not future Mr. Quinzel, are pretty breathtaking yourself." She slid her hands into his back pockets. "Are you spoken for? Or do you think we could go out sometime? Just don't tell my fiancé. He's the jealous kind."

"I think we can keep things quiet. Although I don't know if I'd want to fight him. He's got a rep as a pretty hardcore guy," Dick beamed, holding her tight.

"Yeah, he would totally kick your ass. And his dad's pretty scary." Harley giggled.

"I think you'd be worth it," he laughed, resting his forehead against hers, his breath fogging up her glasses. Dick laughed again.

"Sorry though. I don't think I'm willing to cheat on him like that. I love him too much." Harley kissed his bottom lip.

"How very noble of you," Dick sighed, closing his eyes. His lips chased hers, and he kissed her gently. Harley smiled into the kiss, nibbling on his bottom lip for a second. She pulled away, a gleam in her eyes.

"I do love you though."

"I love you too, Harles," he smiled gently, stroking her cheek with one gloved hand.

"Well if you love me, why don't you marry me?" she asked before giggling. Dick rolled his eyes.

"You know, I tried to, for a while. If I recall right, _you're_ the one that kept saying no," he kissed her cheek.

"I could have kept saying no," Harley countered. "To, you know, the times you actually got the question out." She raised one eyebrow, smirking.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" He laughed.

"That really was a perfect dinner at the circus." She gave him a quick kiss. Dick smiled.

"I know. It would have been good." He looked down, laughing to himself. He laced his fingers behind her back.

"It was still a pretty good proposal. I mean, it's no wings and grape juice to a band, but it was pretty perfect." She grinned.

"For us, yeah," Dick kissed her cheek, turning to start skating again with his arm around her waist, and her hand still in his back pocket. He grinned.

"Look. Red." Harley waved to Ivy who reluctantly skated over to her.

"If no one else saw me, can I leave and pretend I never came?" She put her back to where Jason was laughing with Kori. Roy was practicing his skating around them, still a little unsteady.

"Nope. You're here, and you're staying here," Harley told her. Dick looked down.

"I second that! You need to smile more, Red," he laughed.

"Sure." She skated off by herself, sticking to the edge.

"See even Red knows how to skate," Harley pointed out.

"Well I'm terrible. I don't know how you people do it," he laughed.

"It's a secret cult you have to join," she assured him.

"Damn it, I knew it." Dick looked up at the ceiling. "Well there's no chance for me then, I can't let it corrupt my wholly good heart," he chuckled.

"Good because I'm the only not wholly good thing that can corrupt you." She winked. Dick beamed, kissing her cheek. Damian and Nicky looked like they'd decided to double team Jason; Kori followed along after them, laughing merrily.

"You know you are."

"Hey." Harley grinned. "Are you hungry? Because I am."

"I could grab a snack. And by that, I mean I need an excuse to get off the ice," he laughed, following her to the opening.

"Good because I was thinking wings."


	6. Karaoke

_**Oh the weather outside is frightful…**_

 _ **Dick had thought it would be a good idea to take the entire family ice skating, to escape the chaotic stress of Bruce and Selina's wedding. He and Harley are practically inseparable, and this way, they got to spend more time together than they already did.**_

 _ **After the ice skating party, they all went their separate ways. Batman and Robin on the streets, Selina and Barbara busy with as much wedding planning as they could cram into one night, and Dick and Harley went off to revisit some old dreams.**_

Harley stomped the snow off her boots as soon as they entered the bar. The wind whipped her hair around until Dick got the door closed. The heat of the bar started to wash over her.

"It is way too cold out there," she complained, putting her mittens over her red ears.

"Let me warm you up," Dick beamed, kissing her ears as he wrapped his arms around her, laughing.

"But you're cold too," she whined, wrinkling her nose.

"Well let's warm each other up then," he smiled broadly at her and kissed her cheek, tugging his beanie down on her head. His eyes shone as he looked at her, and then yanked the hat down over her glasses, laughing. Harley swatted blindly at him, smacking his chest.

"Jerk." She pulled it back up, sticking her tongue out at him. Dick caught her tongue in his mouth and kissed her playfully, still smiling mischieviously as his gloved hands stroked her cheeks. He leaned back, narrowing his eyes.

"You taste good. But you know what would be even better? Wings. Come on," he grinned, taking her hand and turning around, only to run into Joe behind him, knocking the tray of dirty dishes in his hands onto the floor.

"You know you tend to do that a lot," Joe told him.

"Hi!" Harley hugged Joe, beaming. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Lee." Joe patted her on the back with one hand. He was the only one she still visited that called her that. It was strange to hear her old nickname. Dick finished cleaning up the dishes and putting them back on the tray.

"DejaVu," he muttered, looking around. "Hi Joe!" he smiled, waving a little.

"Come on son," Joe clapped Dick on the shoulder, "let's get you sat down before you trip my waitress." He laughed cheerily and followed him to the booth, still holding Harley's hand.

"How have you been, Joe?" he asked, smiling as he sat down beside Harley in the booth.

"Keeping busy." Joe shrugged. "The usual I suppose?"

"Oh!" Harley squealed. "I just realized that you wouldn't know-" She pulled her mitten off with her teeth, showing her ring to Joe. She smiled around the mitten in her mouth.

Joe whistled. "That looks like an expensive ring."

"Ah," Dick shrugged, looking down at his hands. He smiled.

"You did good kid," Joe said before walking back behind the bar.

"You know you're the first boyfriend I've had that he likes. Well, that he's known about," she corrected. "Not that I think he would have approved of the Joker."

"I don't know how many people would have approved," Dick smiled and took her hand, watching the ring sparkle on her finger. "Of him, I mean."

"Let's just chalk it down to my rebellious phase being pretty hardcore." Harley giggled, taking his hand and playing with it.

"What does that make me?" he smiled, nudging her with his elbow.

"That makes you the right man that I found at the right time." She grinned at him, her eyes shining before getting distracted as Joe slid two Shirley Temples on their table instead of their usual waters. "I haven't had one of these in years!" She happily took a sip.

"I thought you deserved a treat," Joe told her before heading back to the kitchen.

"Seriously, these things are the best," Harley assured Dick. He shook his head, smiling.

"I'm not arguing with you there," he laughed, taking a sip. "Perfect."

"So are you." Harley kissed his cheek. "Or are only you allowed to say cheesy lines like that?" She stirred her drink with the straw. "If so, you missed a golden opportunity," she told him with a wicked grin.

"Damn," he snapped. "I guess I'll have to settle for the silver," Dick smirked, taking a drink again. He nearly choked. "Wait, is there karaoke tonight?"

"No," Harley said too quickly. Dick's eyes widened.

"There _is_!" he shouted, and a couple of people glanced over from the bar. "I knew it! I'm singing my Christmas songs, and you can't stop me." Harley groaned before suddenly smiling.

"I _could_ stop you."

"But…?" Dick glanced at her, narrowing his eyes. "What's the catch? You said that like you do when you have a catch," he stared at her.

"Well," Harley scooted closer to him in the booth, putting her hand on his thigh, "you can't sing if you're lips are busy," she murmured, her breath on his skin. She kissed him sweetly. Dick smiled into her kiss and squeezed her hand. He savored the kiss before leaning back, out of her reach.

"I think I'll still sing," he beamed, and kissed her nose. Harley wrinkled it, shooting him a look.

"Fine, then keep those lips to yourself." She scooted back away from him.

"Please, like you can keep your hands off of me any more than I can resist you," Dick laughed, and then slid out of the booth as Joe brought their wings.

"Oh no," he groaned, watching Dick pick up the mic. He tapped it, to make sure it was on, and smiled.

"Um, hi-" the microphone screeched and Joe sat down across from Harley, smiling. Dick winced away, his blue eyes standing out starkly in the light on the stage.

"Whoo! You sing, cutie!" a woman cried from the bar, before taking a drink of her martini. Dick blushed, tucking his hand in his pocket.

"So last time I humiliated myself with karaoke, I went all out, but… Well I see Joe has Christmas music, and… tis the season, right? So I want to sing for my beautiful fiancee." He grinned at Harley from the stage and then fiddled with the machine. It began to play a soft and slow piano melody.

" _I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love_

 _Even more than I usually do_

 _And although I know it's a long road back_

 _I promise you-"_

He smiled at Harley, his eyes shining as he sang slow and deep with the music, his voice wavering every now and then, but overall gentle and beautiful.

" _-I'll be home for Christmas_

 _You can count on me_

 _Please have snow and mistletoe_

 _And presents by the tree._ "

Harley smiled, crinkling her nose at him as she giggled.

"I can't say he's a bad singer," Joe admitted.

"It would make not enjoying this so much easier," Harley agreed, watching Dick.

Dick returned her smile, holding the mic with one hand, his other stuck in the pocket of his jeans. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, sitting and watching him from the booth like she had so long ago.

" _Christmas eve will find me_

 _Where the love light gleams_

 _I'll be home for Christmas_

 _If only in my dreams_."

He put the mic back on it's stand, leaning forward a bit. He looked around the room for a split second and then his eyes returned to her, the light catching the blue. He took a deep breath, finishing off the song.

" _I'll be home for Christmas_

 _You can count on me_

 _Please have some snow and mistletoe_

 _And presents by the tree-_ "

He blew her a kiss, laughing slightly.

" _Christmas eve will find me_

 _Where the love light gleams_

 _I'll be home for Christmas_

 _If only in my dreams._ "

The women at the bar and the few filled tables around the room clapped and cheered him off the stage as he wound his way back to their booth, panting a bit. Dick beamed at her as he sat down, and then kissed her cheek.

"Nope," Harley leaned away with a smile, "the deal was that you keep your lips to yourself." She grinned at Joe, who got up and went to help a customer at the bar, before picking up a wing.

"Oh come on, Harles," he looked at the basket of wings, trying to decide which one to take. "Was my singing really that bad? It wasn't even a long song!"

"It was really good," Harley told him. "I'm just saying you missed your chance." She shrugged, tearing off a piece of wing. "But I think that woman at the bar would be more than happy to oblige."

"Please, she's older than Bruce is. Plus she doesn't have all the things going for her that you do." He winked and plucked up a wing, licking the barbecue sauce off of his finger.

"You know, you find me being pregnant with your child scarily attractive. I think it's a guy pride thing." Harley took a drink of her Shirley Temple.

"So what? It's not a bad thing," he shrugged, smiling to himself. "And you don't _know_ that's what I was going to say."

"Oh, and this doesn't turn you on?" She waved her ring by her face with a smirk.

"Okay so maybe it's kinda fun, knowing that you're mine and no one can have you," he laughed, wiping his hands on a napkin. "But that _wasn't_ what I was going to say."

"Okay fine, what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that you're much prettier than her, for one," Dick sipped his drink. "Two, she only looks older than Bruce because she's a smoker- obviously- which might make her Bruce's age; let's face it, I like older women but not _that_ much older. And three, I'd put money on the fact that her name isn't Harley Quinn, and she doesn't know pretty much _everything_ about who I am. Which you do. You know me, inside and out, and that is so much more of a turn on than a ring on your finger."

"You know if we want to get technical, my name isn't Harley Quinn either," she smirked.

"That wasn't-" he laughed in exasperation, smiling despite it. "You know what I meant, I was trying to make a point."

"And I'm being difficult." Harley smiled, grabbing another wing. "Way more fun this way." Dick laughed.

"You're pretty good at it, too," he mused, finishing his wing. He set it down and looked at her, crossing his arms on the table. Harley leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand.

"Have I upset you?" she teased. Dick smiled.

"It takes a lot to upset me, and I can honestly say… you test the definition of 'a lot', _a lot_ ," he laughed, shaking his head. "No, you know I can't even be irritated with you. One look at that pretty face, and I'm bewitched."

"Oh really?" Harley asked innocently. "Does this bewitching come with any perks?"

"Plenty, believe me," Dick beamed. Harley sat back up.

"Is a honeymoon to a beach going to be one of them? Because I am looking forward to when I'm in bikini shape again," she laughed.

"Oh… Honeymoon," Dick smiled. "I'd forgotten about that. Honestly, you want to go to a beach location? Isn't that a bit cliched? I've always wanted to go back to Greece. What about a European tour? There are beaches in Europe. Do you think we should leave Haly with Bruce and Selina?" He chuckled. "Selina would love that."

"Well having a baby on a honeymoon wouldn't be a honeymoon; it'd be a vacation. Alfred would just love it if we left her there, until we actually left." Harley giggled. "And I'm not saying exclusively beach. The European tour has always been a dream of mine. Seeing London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, ooo even Egypt. I'm just saying we'd be getting nowhere near Russia."

"That sounds amazing. It sounds _long_. Europe it is, then. I don't know where Bruce was planning on taking Selina, but it _was_ a beachy location. The Bahamas? Tahiti? Bruce loves Tahiti." Dick sipped his drink.

"It's a magical place," Harley agreed. "And that doesn't surprise me. I'm sure they'd want to go somewhere where it's just the two of them… in minimal clothes… with no chance of interruption." She giggled.

"Yeah, we'll see how long it lasts," Dick snorted. "How long do you think Bruce will stay away from Gotham and the cowl?" He shook his head, muttering irritably in another language.

"Hey, you know I hate it when you say things in languages I don't know. It makes me feel left out." Harley mock pouted. Dick smiled and looked at her, kissing her cheek.

"I was just saying how much I loved you," Dick smirked. "Nah, I don't think Bruce will relax. His honeymoon will be hell. I'm just afraid that this wedding won't be all that Selina is hoping it will be. At the same time, I'm hoping that it will be. She deserves it. _He_ deserves it, he just won't relax." Dick looked down, picking at the last wing in the basket. His slender, straight nose and perfect profile were silhouetted in the stage lights behind him as he looked down at the table. Shrugging, he glanced over at the stage, where a woman was singing a slow jazz song with a lazy, beautiful voice. "It makes the rest of us tense, too," he muttered irritably.

"I think, he's going to relax just as soon as he sees Selina walking down the aisle." She shrugged. "It's just a theory I have. He'll be fine on his honeymoon. It's when he's flying back that he's going to start freaking out. Now," she smiled at him, "finish off your wing so we can go. My coat is getting hot now that it's not being pelted by sub zero temperatures."

"Yeah," Dick sat up, eating his wing and pulling his gloves on. He stood up out of the booth and helped Harley stand up, kissing her cheek. He walked towards the bar with her hand in his, and tapped on the counter in front of Joe. "Hey. We're going to go." Joe smiled and came around the bar to hug Harley.

"I'll see you around kid. Don't forget to visit," he told her.

"I won't. And you better come to my wedding." She gave him one last smile.

"Oh I wouldn't miss it. You two are good together. And I misjudged you," he clapped Dick on the shoulder. "Your boy asked me for your hand before he asked you," Joe chuckled. "Told him it was _your_ call, and nobody would change that fact. Still, I appreciated the gesture. You kids have a good night, and drive safe!" He hugged Harley quick again before Dick led her out of the bar, opening the door of his car for her.

"You asked for my hand?" Harley taunted, getting into the passenger seat. "I don't know whether to be offended or go count my dowry."

"Okay, first-" Dick started the car- "I don't think that's how dowry works. Second, it was just something I wanted to do." Harley buckled her seat belt as he started to drive.

"Okay first off, I know how a dowry works." She wrinkled her nose at him. "Also, I'm touched and impressed by it, and only a little condescending. And third," she smiled mischievously. "Remember what I said about cheating?" She leaned toward him, putting her hand on his thigh. "I don't know why, but you having to focus on the road seems like the perfect form of revenge."

"You didn't say a two," Dick swallowed hard, his hands tightening on the wheel. He glanced at her, his lips pursed. "Come on, it's snowy. That's not funny."

"No one cares about two," she murmured by his ear. "And I'm hilarious." Her hand trailed higher up his leg.

"Harley-" Dick groaned in frustration. "Sit back and buckle up. Stop it, I mean it," he warned, his cheeks flushing a bit, and not from the cold.

"I _am_ buckled up. However, _you_ are not," she teased. "Let me help you with that." Harley reached across and pulled his seat belt into place, being precise with where she brushed her hand. "There. Safety first."

He bit his lip, only now realizing that he'd been speeding. Dick took his foot off of the gas, and he clenched the steering wheel; he couldn't stop his heart from beating faster. "Your timing is terrible," he mumbled, his cheeks redder.

"I've never been very good with that," Harley admitted, her lips on his ear. "But _I_ wasn't the one late to our second date. Didn't you say you liked the sweater I wore? Or was it that short black dress from our first date?" Her hand trailed down then back up his leg. "Or your cop button up the morning after our second date? I know," she kissed below his ear, "it was the bikini on the boat." She chuckled. "Maybe I'll bring that bikini on our honeymoon. For dessert."

"Harles…" Dick took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a split second before focusing on the road again, slowing to a stop at a red light.

"Of course we both know your favorite piece of clothing." Her breath tickled against his skin as she whispered against his neck. "Which is when I wear only…" she kissed his jaw, "my engagement ring."

"I'm trying to focus," he said forcefully and turned his head a little, his lips brushing hers. He froze for a moment, staring into her eyes and scarcely breathing.

"I'm sorry. Am I distracting you?" she asked against his lips before kissing him slowly, her tongue searching for his.

A soft moan escaped his lips as he weakly kissed her back, the car behind them honking as the light turned green. Dick reluctantly leaned away from her and pressed on the gas a little too quickly, jerking the car into motion. He took a shaky breath, glancing out his window and speeding again.

"Careful." Harley trailed her hand up to his waist, running it under his jacket. Her hand felt cool as she brought it to rest over his heart. "I've heard speeding is illegal. I'd hate for you to get pulled over while you're so… revved up." She traced his abs with the tips of her fingers, her lips brushing along his jawline. His head turned a bit, his parted lips searching for hers. Dick's muscles were tense under her touch, and she felt his abs tighten suddenly; his lips pulled the gasp from hers as he lost control for a split second, swerving over the line. He jerked the steering wheel back and Harley fell back into her seat, laughing as he turned onto their street.

"Damn it, Harley," he snapped, shocked into anger. There had been no one else on the road, but it had still surprised him.

"I'm sorry," she giggled into her hands.

"Well, I told you to stop," he said irritably, taking a deep breath. "What if that had been worse? What if I had hit something, or someone…" Dick parked the car in the garage, pressing the button to close the door behind them as he turned the car off.

"I'm sorry," Harley repeated a little more serious. "I thought you were in control. I guess I got to you more than I thought." She pursed her lips to stop from smiling.

"Stop it. I know you're smiling. And you know you're my kryptonite," he glanced at her, running a hand through his hair as he bit his lip.

"Okay I really am sorry. But," she smirked, "the good news is that we finally know that I'm the better tease."

"I think we both knew that already," Dick smirked, opening his car door.

"That's okay." Harley unbuckled her seat belt, climbing slowly out of the car. "I'm sure Wally has plenty of kisses to give you if you need practice."

"If I need practice," Dick smiled as he came around the front of the car and caught Harley's hand, twirling her into his arms; "it won't be with the dog." He smirked, wrapping one arm around her waist as he dipped her, kissing her with dizzying passion. He broke it off just a moment too early as he set her back on her feet and walked towards the door, glancing over his shoulder. "But I _could_ probably use some lessons."


	7. I'm Sorry

_**It's not their wedding.**_

 _ **So Harley and Dick can spend as much time together as they like. After spending the day with the family, a date and a night to themselves is a perfect release from the stress of helping to plan the wedding. After all, there's no such thing as spending too much time together, right?**_

 _ **Wrong. Things go horribly awry, incredibly fast, and a slip of the tongue becomes a fight between the two that's painful for both parties involved. Stress is stress, whether it's been caused months ago or moments; and the night had begun so well.**_

Harley pulled the blankets up to her shoulders to keep the cold at bay. She was lying on her back with her head on Dick's stomach. He had one hand in her hair and the other under his head where it was propped up on a pillow as he smiled down at her. Harley rolled her head to the side and smiled back.

"I don't even know if Ivy came back." She glanced at the door. "We are terrible hosts." She reached one hand up to brush against his by her head.

"She's not exactly the most becoming of guests, either. Does she ever come out of her room when she is home? We haven't had one nice sit down dinner with her since she got here," he pondered. He looked down at her, smiling. His dark hair stuck up in every direction, still tousled from her hands pulling it. Dick bit his lip. Harley reached up and pulled his lip away from his teeth.

"Stop biting your lip," she laughed. "That's the reason the lamp is broken." She glanced at the cracked lamp on the floor by their bed. "At least it was the ugly one," she shrugged.

"No, the lamp is broken because you threw me into it," Dick looked at her pointedly, unable to keep the smile off of his face. "You know I can't compete with you when you use your Antitoxin strength." He sighed deeply, his strong chest rising slowly as he did.

"You can handle it." Harley rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you needed me to go easy on you." She smirked, grabbing his hand. "But," she kissed his fingers, "next time I'll be more gentle," she told him sweetly, kissing his palm.

Dick took his other hand out from under his head and stroked her cheek. "I have a bad feeling that I'll be bruised tomorrow. And not from the ice skating. Well that too." He smiled down at her, his fingers sifting through her light hair.

"Oh my poor baby," Harley mock cooed. "I won't let you go ice skating again. We don't want you hurting your easily bruised bottom." She used his hand to hide her smile, giggling a little.

"You're terrible," he laughed, a short, giggling sound. Dick bit his lip again, smiling as he shivered slightly. His tired blue eyes were fixed on her calmly, his cheeks still flushed on his slender face.

"That's not what you were saying a few minutes ago," Harley reminded him, smirking into his hand.

Dick pulled his hand back a bit and traced her lips, his parted slightly. He smiled. "Oh I know." She felt his breathing speed up a bit.

"You're shivering," Harley commented. "Are you cold?" Her hand trailed down his forearm. He smiled and closed his eyes, goosebumps rising on his skin at her touch.

"Now that the adrenaline has worn off, yeah, a little." He joked, smiling down at her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. "Come up here." Dick took her hands, pulling her up towards him. His slender fingers were cold, and every touch was animated by the chill. She felt his fingers trace down the scar on her waist as she settled into the pillows, warm where Dick had been laying, while he sat up a bit and kissed her neck. His kisses traced down her collarbone.

"You should probably warm up then," she suggested. She softly skimmed her fingers over the muscles on his back, taking her time whenever she came across a scar.

Dick's lips trailed down her chest. "I'm working on it," he smiled up at her, kissing the scar on her waist. His cold hands rested lightly on her hips.

"For someone so hot, you're very cold," she told him, grinning as she shivered at his touch, her legs tangled in the blankets. She ran her hands up his back, skimming his neck, before tousling his hair. "Is it your frozen heart?" she teased.

"You were supposed to have fixed that," he smiled against her skin, kissing back up her torso and stopping just above her lips. His legs lay to the side, his solid chest pressed lightly against hers; his hands were pressed into the blankets on either side of her head, and he shifted his weight to one arm to stroke her cheek.

"Well it's going to take some time." Harley leaned up to kiss him sweetly. She wrinkled her nose at how her swollen belly pressed against him, so she kissed down his jaw and neck, pausing to suck at the tender spot where his neck met his collarbone before continuing down his chest and planting one final kiss over his heart. Dick smiled, his arms tensing.

"Sit up," Dick breathed, glancing down at her. He answered her quizzical look by taking her waist and lifting her up, situating her on his lap. His hands traced down her spine, and he started massaging her lower back.

"The wedding in two days, less than a week till Christmas, then… we're going to be parents." Harley leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder, turning so her nose nuzzled his neck. "We're going to be parents," she repeated, smiling.

Dick smiled back at her and stole a kiss from her lips before resting his lips against her shoulder. His hands worked out a knot in her back. "I'm nervous," he whispered against her skin.

"Me too," Harley admitted. "What if something goes wrong? What if the Antitoxin screws everything up? We don't even have a doctor anymore. What if I'm a bad mother? What if she doesn't like me?" she asked quietly.

" _Nothing_ is going to go wrong," he said a bit forcefully. She could feel him tense up a bit, but then he relaxed and continued to massage her back. "And you're going to be an incredible mother. She'll love you. You're her _mother_." Dick smiled, kissing behind her ear.

"Well I didn't exactly love my mother." Harley pinched her eyes closed. "And it's just… what if she wants normal parents?"

"You'll be different. _We'll_ be different. And she won't want a normal family, because she's _our_ kid." Dick smiled and stroked her sides, kissing her shoulder.

"The daughter of the circus vigilante and the crazy psychiatrist." Harley giggled. "So what are we thinking? Is she's going to be a ballerina or a neuroscientist? Possibly both? Definitely single though. With her uncles, no boy will get within ten feet."

"Excuse me, with her _father,_ no boy is going to set foot in this house," he looked over her shoulder at her, laughing as he kissed her gently. Harley sighed into the kiss, reaching her arm across her chest and resting it on his shoulder. Her other hand was on her stomach, her thumb tracing at small circle. She kissed his top lip with a smile before nudging his nose and giggling.

"Still worried or cold?"

"I _am._ Cold as hell and worried about being a father. One of those things, you can do something about." He smiled and laid back down on the pillows with her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her. He nibbled her ear and inhaled deeply.

"I don't know," Harley smirked, "I'm not sure I know anything about being a father either." She turned her face toward him, still smiling.

Dick scowled and then laughed at her, his lips brushing hers. He smiled. "Well I'd make a lousy mother, so we're even," he kissed the corner of her mouth, shifting her weight to his side with his arm tucked under her neck.

"I don't know, you're already a mother of two. You can't just forget your babies now that you're going to be a dad. You'll break Wally's heart." She smiled, pressing her lips to his arm as she blinked slowly.

Dick watched her. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered, biting his lip.

"Thank you sir. Although you're not exactly hard on the eyes yourself. And," she lifted her head up, "you're biting your lip again." She pursed her lips, attempting to glare. Dick glared right back at her and then leaned down, biting her lip and kissing her fervently. He grinned, pulling her closer.

"Careful there." Harley put a hand on his chest, her eyes shining. "I'm supposed to be gentle with you, remember?" She ran her hand along his side to his back. Dick inhaled sharply and gripped her hip with one hand, his other clutching at the skin on her back as he flipped her over and pushed her down on the bed, his lips furiously passionate on hers. His hand traced down her waist, feeling her athletic curves, and continued down her leg. He pulled her knee up around his hip and broke off the kiss, biting her lip for good measure. He smiled down at her.

"Well you be gentle then," he smirked, biting her ear. Harley clenched her teeth together, her back arching slightly. She grabbed his face.

"You are just trying to break the other lamp aren't you?" She was breathing harder, and her eyes were bright. She pulled his lips to hers, kissing him hungrily; she pulled on his upper lip with her teeth before breaking away, her tongue darting out as she licked her lips. His dark hair fell nearly down into her face, and she brushed it behind his ear.

"I told you. _You_ broke that lamp," he laughed breathlessly, his hand grasping at her arched back as he nipped her neck, his other hand sliding into her hair. He pulled her head back so he could kiss her throat better, his body pressed to hers in the warm dark of their bedroom; as Dick kissed her his lips grew more and more impassioned, drawing her in. His lips found hers again, and he kissed her slowly, countering the tantalizingly energetic feel of his arms around her, her legs tangled in his, his hand in her hair; his heart pounding in his chest against hers. Harley sat upright, pulling him up with her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist.

"You're right," she murmured against his lips, "I can be gentle," her voice was a breath by his ear. She ran her mouth down his neck, her lips barely brushing his skin as her hands ran softly through his hair. She kissed the pulse point on the side of his neck, the hollow of his throat, and his other pulse point. When he tried to say something, she paused long enough to stop his lips with a sweet kiss. She kissed across his shoulder, one hand trailing down his back while the other was still tangled in his hair. Suddenly, she pushed him back against the pillows, kneeling above him. "Or I could not be gentle." Her smirking lips were inches above his as she held him down by his shoulders, her knees on either side of his hips. "Your choice."

"Definitely the second one," he grinned, his lips following hers until she was just out of his reach, still holding him down to the bed with effortless strength. Dick's hands came to rest on either side of her waist. She could hear his breathing come faster. She hummed, keeping her lips just out of his reach.

"Oh, is that what you want?" she teased.

Dick nodded, biting his lip as he smiled up at her, his eyes shining. His dark hair stuck up everywhere against the pillows. Harley released his shoulder. One of her hands trailed down his chest, feather light against his skin while the other slid up into his hair, pulling his face near hers. Her breath hummed against his jaw.

"Well make your move, Boy Wonder."

Dick groaned and closed his eyes, smiling as he shuddered from her touch. "Don't _call_ me that, Babs, you know I hate it…" He laughed, and then stopped. His eyes flew open again, and he looked up at her. "Harley! I meant- Harley!" he cried. Harley was frozen, her face still hovering inches from his.

"I'm sorry?" she asked like she hadn't quite heard him.

"Nothing," he said quickly, hoping she hadn't heard. _What the hell was I thinking!?_ Harley sat up, sitting to the side of him.

"Did you just call me-? You just called me Babs." Her eyes were surprised, and confused, and a little bit hurt.

"No! I mean I _did_ , but it was only because you called me- I don't know why, it just slipped out-" Dick sat up, stuttering and stumbling over his words.

"I really don't want to ask this question, but…" She watched him carefully. "Were you… thinking of Barbara during that?"

"God no, Harley!" he cried, running a hand through his hair. "I just… you called me 'Boy Wonder', and she used to call me that and it threw me off- it's like three am, and I didn't sleep at all last night-"

" _And_ you didn't sleep last night?" she demanded. "Why the hell not?"

"I just couldn't! You fell asleep and then I kind of laid awake for a while and dozed off, but I kept waking up, so I just got up and went jogging- and I came home and just laid awake again- I wasn't tired!" He bit his lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- and then you woke up, and I just kind of- I'm sorry," he winced, looking at her.

"I… I don't even know what to say right now honestly." Harley shook her head. "I don't- don't even know how to react."

"And I don't know what else to say." Dick ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry," he said again. Harley groaned and put her head into her hands.

"It's not just the fact that you're going to drive yourself sick not sleeping, and you're _still_ not telling me about it. It's…" She sighed, looking back up at him. "You were thinking of your _ex_ while we were in bed. How am I supposed to react to that? I mean, how would you feel if I called out 'Mistah J' in the heat of the moment?"

"I _know_ Harley, it was wrong. And I told you, I _wasn't_ thinking about her! I don't even know where that came from," he said honestly, sounding upset. "That would be really disturbing, I get your point! And that is _not_ the same thing."

"How is it not the same thing?" He'd clearly hit a nerve. "Because I don't still get jealous every time my ex looks at another person?"

"What the _hell_ is that supposed-" Dick inhaled deeply, trying to lower his voice. "She and I are on good terms. That does _not_ mean that I still have any feeling for her. She can date whoever she wants! It's not my business!"

"It's not your business," Harley agreed. "But that didn't stop you from hating Sam on sight. He's a perfectly good guy. You just didn't like him because he likes Barbara. Sometimes it's like you care more about her relationship than ours."

"That is completely ridiculous!" Dick snapped, clearly offended. "When have I ever, _ever_ acted like I cared less about our relationship than anything else!?" he demanded.

"When you turned off your comm for one," she reminded him. "And you've always viewed your duty to Batman and the cowl as the most important thing."

"That is completely different," he said seriously, looking at her.

"It is not completely different," Harley retorted. "How bad do you feel for Selina every time he leaves her alone at home? You've said it before. Then you just leave me here without a second thought."

Dick looked away from her, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "At least Selina _understands_ that he _has_ to do it," he said. He couldn't believe that they'd even gotten here, after how the night had started.

"Yeah, and I do too! That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." Harley shook her head a little. "And how many times are we going to argue about you not sleeping? It's like even when you're here, you really aren't. And don't even _try_ to say that I don't understand how worried you are. Believe me, I _do_. But sometimes I feel like you don't even want to be… present… and happy. It's like you'd rather be out there, chasing down your demons than here with me."

"But that's not what it is, Harley!" he snapped, his cheeks flushing in anger. "You think I don't want to be here, but it's completely the opposite. I _know_ that you know how I feel, how worried I am. I try my hardest to be here with you. Do you know how frustrating it is to want to be 'present and happy', but have _you_ be happy fifty percent of the time? The other fifty percent, you're moody, you're in pain, you get mad sometimes for _no_ reason, you make me run out to the store six times to get you things that you want- and it's all my fault and all I want to do is to make you feel better, but nothing I do is right, and nothing I can get you makes you feel better, and you're angry, and you complain-" he cried in exasperation, his hands covering his face. "I want you to be happy and you're _not_ , and now you're accusing _me_ of not being happy and focused on our relationship while you don't even know you're doing it!" Harley stared at him in stunned silence for a moment.

"You're right, this _is_ your fault." Her voice was furious. "This is your fault if you're viewing it as a _problem_." She poked his chest. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't exactly sign up for this, but neither did I. I didn't plan on adding a baby onto the list of all the current complications in our life, but I accepted it, and hell, got excited about it. And you know what? I thought you had too." She couldn't look him in the eye anymore. "There have been billions of women who've been pregnant before me- planned or unplanned- and there have been billions of men who have found a way to stay by their sides instead of hating it and running away every chance they get." Dick couldn't decide what to say. He watched her, his mouth open in shock. He wanted to take back everything he'd said; hit a rewind button and go back before they- before _he'd-_ started this fight.

"Is that… Harley," he breathed, hoping she would listen. He wanted to reach out to her, hold her in his arms, but he was afraid she'd push him away. And she had every right to. "Please, I- that is not what I meant. I am excited. I am happy. And I would never, _ever_ run out on you. It hurts to know that you think I'd ever… that I hate this, or I run from it." Dick looked down, his voice quiet. "I really do try. I just… I don't know," he looked down at his hands on the comforter. _You complete moron. You've done it now, haven't you?_ "I'm sorry," he said again.

"What are you even sorry about, Dick?" Harley asked him. "What are you apologizing for because I'm not even sure anymore." She rubbed her temples. "You told me when you proposed that 'us' is what makes you happy. But all I've heard is that I'm the the most frustrating aspect of your life. What are you sorry for? That I don't know how excited you are because you're _never_ here for me to see it? That I'm not perfect? That I'm pregnant? That I'm _not_ Barbara? Or is it that you brought up how unhappy I can be? Or that we're even having this fight? Or is it _us_?" She blinked back tears.

"Harley!" Dick took her face in his hands, looking at her seriously. "Stop it. I'm sorry that I started this fight," he said gently. "You're getting yourself all worked up and getting these crazy thoughts in your head. I love you, Harles. And I love us, and Haly, and I _couldn't_ be happier. I'm just tired and stretched thin from trying to make sure _you're_ happy. I'm too terrified of you being unhappy. I'm terrified of losing you. That's all. That's all this is. I'm agitated because I'm trying so damn hard to make _you_ happy."

"You don't get it." Harley shook her head, pulling his hands away from her face. "I don't want you to. I don't want you to worry or get agitated or be terrified of _me_ being unhappy. I just want _you_. I want you to be here, with me and not off somewhere else, worrying, or distracted even when you are here." She was clearly still a little angry. "How is it supposed to make me feel?" she asked him. "How do you think it makes me feel when instead of being my fiancé, you're being my protector? Nightwing isn't the one I said yes to marrying." She shot him one last look before getting up. She headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Dick ran his hands through his hair, feeling the weight of his exhaustion suddenly wash over him. He glanced at the alarm clock. _3:16._ He didn't know what else to say to her. Everything was coming out all wrong, and his attempts at stopping the argument had only made it worse. He didn't want her to be upset with him anymore. Sitting up and pulling on a pair of sweatpants, Dick stretched. Clark scratched at the outside of the bedroom door, and he opened it, kneeling down to pet him. The dog whimpered.

"S'okay, buddy," Dick whispered, rubbing his face and fighting the urge to yawn. He scratched Clark's ear, lost in thought.

Harley suddenly screamed from the bathroom. "Dick!" She yelled furiously. He looked up in surprise, already on his feet.

"What?" he called hesitantly, his hand on the doorknob as he pushed open the bathroom door. Harley glared at him from the toilet.

"I've told you a million times to put the seat down!" she snapped. Her hands were still thrown up from when she'd reflexively flailed to grab something when she'd realized too late the seat wasn't there. Dick stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. He covered his mouth quickly.

"God I shouldn't- you _have_ told me- I'm so sorry-" he could barely get through the sentence before snorting and bursting into laughter again.

"This isn't funny." Harley hid her face in her hands. "It's wet," she whined.

"I'm sorry," he laughed again. "I'm so sorry." Dick crossed the bathroom and helped her out, holding her hands. He closed his mouth tight, but she could still hear him laughing.

"This isn't funny," she repeated, her voice cracking. "I'm still mad at you." She hid her face in his chest as she started crying.

"Oh Harley," he said softly, smiling as he kissed her head. "It's okay, honey. Let's get you cleaned up and in bed. It's okay." He stroked her hair. "Come on. A hot bath and a warm bed. I'm sorry."

"I fell in a toilet," Harley sobbed. Dick smiled gently and reached down, turning the bathtub on. Steaming water ran from the tap, and Dick helped her step over the ledge and sit down.

"It's okay, honey," he smoothed her hair back, one hand draped over the side of the tub, his fingers dipping in the warm water as it filled.

"No it's not." She wiped her eyes. "And look at Clark," the dog licked his lips from where he was lying by the door, "he knows. He knows I'm the dumb lady that fell into a toilet… _naked_."

"It was kind of cute, though. In a pathetic way," Dick bit his lip, hoping she wouldn't smack him. The water was warm and relaxing.

"You can go ahead and let me drown now." Harley sank lower into the water. Dick smiled lovingly.

"I don't think I could let that happen," he shrugged and smiled at her, laying his head down on his shoulder.

"Dick," Harley looked up at him seriously, "I fell into a toilet."

"Because I left the seat up," he laughed. "Did you hurt yourself? Are you okay?" he asked, watching her.

"Just embarrassed. Like really embarrassed. _Severely_ embarrassed. Totally embarrassed. Like you saying someone elses name in bed embarrassed." Harley put the lower half of her face in the water, bubbling the water out as she looked at him. Dick's cheeks went pink.

"I really am sorry. She was the only one who ever used that nickname. And it was only seriously for me. She said it jokingly to Jason or Tim sometimes, but for years, she constantly called me that. It caught me off guard." he muttered. Harley brought her face back out of the water.

"Do you wanna know what caught me off guard?" she asked. "Falling in a toilet."

"I'm sorry!" he laughed, biting his lip. Clark pawed at his leg, whining. Dick sighed. "I think he's got to go outside. I'll be back." He stood and cupped a hand under her chin, making her look up at him. "I love you. No matter what. No exceptions or buts or stipulations. No limitations. I love you. Got it?" he smiled gently and walked out of the room, leaving out one of his t-shirts for her to put on. He went down the stairs, Clark trailing behind. Harley cleaned up and flicked the drain open with her toe, sitting in the draining water for a moment. She carefully got out, wringing out her hair and twisting it up in a bun.

She pulled Dick's shirt on before crawling into bed, tugging the blankets up to her chin. Clark came back before Dick, leaping up onto the bed and curling up at the bottom. Wally followed, and immediately flopped down on Clark's head. The older dog didn't move, already dozing off. After a bit longer, Dick came up the stairs and got into bed beside her. He hesitated, and then wrapped an arm around her.

"Good night, Harles," he whispered, burying his face in her neck.

"Night," she sighed. "You better sleep."

She was answered by the familiar sound of his snoring, and she smiled to herself.


	8. Sunrise

_**Dick is in the doghouse. Again.**_

 _ **After a night that had started so well, he and Harley had gotten into a fight. A lot of pent up anger and frustration had fueled their words, and they had barely gotten to sleep on good terms.**_

 _ **Now he wants to make it up to her. It's the last day before all the chaos of the wedding begins, and Dick wants to spend it with her. Whether they're doing Christmassy things or not, he wants to be present in their relationship.**_

Harley woke up to movement, becoming groggily aware of the dark room and the blankets wrapped around her, as if she was still snuggled warm in bed. She was carried towards the bay windows, swung open with the cold air just on the other side. Dick's t-shirt smelled like cologne wrapped around her slender frame. Before she could ask, Dick was suddenly stepping up on the window seat and out onto the roof of the porch, clear of snow from the warmer day before; it had all melted off and was now dry shingles. The cold air hit her face and shocked her into full-consciousness, and he quickly pulled the blankets up around her face, only leaving her nose exposed to the elements. She could hear Dick chuckle quietly.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, her voice muffled by the blankets.

"It's alright, Harley," he said calmly, walking easily over the gently sloped roof and then sitting down. She could barely see anything through the wad of blankets enveloping her, giving her a tiny hole to see through. Dick pulled it open a bit and grinned at her, his nose and cheeks pink. A red knitted cap was pulled low over his black hair, and his breath came in little steam clouds from his smiling lips. He picked up two thick comforters lying on the shingles and wrapped them around himself, smiling out at the view of Gotham. Their neighborhood sat on a hill in the highest part of the city, and their bedroom window overlooked it and the surrounding waters.

"No really. What are you doing?" she repeated.

"I wanted to watch the sunrise," he smiled lightly. Dick pulled a stocking cap down on her messy bedhead and pushed her glasses up her nose, adjusting the blankets so they were both wrapped up together. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms over her shoulders.

"Sunrise? How are you even awake for this? Isn't there at least three more hours of reasonable sleep to be had?" Harley clutched the blankets tight in her fists.

"We were going to take a nap later, anyway," he shrugged, pulling out his thermos and handing it to her under the blankets. She could smell the hot cocoa steaming from the opening in the lid.

"If Selina doesn't kidnap us," she muttered, holding the steaming thermos near her face until it fogged up her glasses. Dick smiled a little, watching the sky turn pink.

"Nope. I declare a day for us. No wedding, no family, no Batman. Nothing. It's you and me," he breathed, holding her close. It was warm in the blankets, despite the cold outside.

"Wait." Harley leaned away. "What's my name?"

"Harleen Frances Quinzel, or Harley, for short. Soon to be Harley Grayson," he smiled at her, tucking the blankets tighter around them.

"And for future reference, is the toilet seat down?" She giggled, leaning her head on his neck. "Oh my God!" She sat back up again. "I fell in the toilet!"

"You did. And the seat will be down, from now on," he chuckled.

"That is so embarrassing," she mumbled, putting her head back on his shoulder.

"It's okay," he smiled gently. "Look at those colors..." Harley smiled up at him, looking at his blue eyes as they watched the orange of the sunrise.

"Yup, I've always thought they were pretty." She kissed his cheek before looking back toward the rising sun. Dick chuckled.

"So are you tired? Do you want to stay in today, or go out? We can do either, my plans are equally fantastic whether we do one or the other." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead, taking a sip of cocoa. He handed her the mug again.

"Let me wake up before I make any decisions," she yawned, cuddling up closer to him in the blankets. She took a big gulp of the cocoa. Dick smiled, humming softly. One hand stroked her belly gently as he held her close. His soft t-shirt was warm in her hands. The sunrise was a beautiful one, she had to admit. "Why the sudden desire to wake up for sunrise and plan a fun day?" Her breath puffed out in front of her.

"I just… felt like it," he laughed softly, his breath mixing with hers in a steam cloud in the cold air.

"Just felt like it, huh? Not trying to make me forget about an argument or something?" She smiled against his shoulder.

"No, trying to make it better. You told me that you felt I never spend time with you. Well, from now on, we're going to spend even more time together." He glanced down at her, closing his eyes. Harley kissed him, giggling a little when he jumped a bit in surprise.

"Well at least there was something good that came from it."

"I'm sorry," he said again, his voice soft. He opened his bright blue eyes and watched her.

"I'm sorry too. I have been being a bit emotional. Not completely my fault, but a little bit." She wrinkled her nose. Dick laughed.

"It is exhausting. But… I have been kind of an ass lately." He kissed her wrinkled nose.

"I think we can sweep it all under the category that pregnancy is stressful." She smiled up at him. Dick returned her smile and kissed her cheek.

"Okay. Sun's up, let's go," Dick smiled, picking her up, his beloved blue coffee mug still clutched in her hand. He smiled and stepped back into their bedroom, greeted by Clark and Wally wagging their tails. Dick set Harley on her feet, pulling the blankets back from her head. He smiled and kissed her lovingly, stroking her cheek. "What do you want to do today?"

"What were my options again?" Harley put her arms around him, trapping him in her blankets. Dick laughed.

"We can go out and do Christmassy things, or we can stay in and do Christmassy things," he smiled, tucking his arms around her waist under her blanket.

"Ooo, they both sound like fun." She stood on tiptoe, putting her lips even with his. "Can we do both?" Dick smiled as he watched her, chuckling softly.

"You keep going the way you're going, and the answer is going to be a stay at home day."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She grinned up at him. "I just thought I'd get on your level to talk to you. You're just reading too much into this," she murmured.

"Oh am I?" he laughed, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

"Definitely." She clasped her hands together behind his neck, the blanket draped over his shoulders. Dick smiled at her, that stupid grin that she fell in love with.

"I guess we'll have to stay home, then," he whispered, lifting her legs around his waist as he held her close, her belly preventing her from being too close to him. His lips remained near hers.

"A shame about all those plans you made." She kissed his bottom lip, biting it gently. Dick had to stop in the hall and lean against the wall, his knees going weak as he suppressed a moan, smiling.

"Plans… right… I- I told you that I had plans either way," he breathed, still grinning like a fool.

"Yeah." Harley grinned as she kissed him again, tracing her thumbs back and forth across the back of his neck. "What was it you had in mind again?" She kissed along his jaw as she waited for him to answer.

"You're ruining my plans," he mumbled, laughing and closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"Okay then, I can stop." Harley grinned, leaning her face away.

"No," he whined, sitting up and walking across the hall, pressing her back to the wall and kissing her gently. He kissed her bottom lip and smiled, his eyes still closed. He laughed softly.

"I thought you wanted to do Christmas stuff," Harley giggled.

"I do. Come on," he grinned, kissing her one last time before he leaned back, carrying her down the stairs with all of the comforters from their bed. When he stepped down onto the landing, she couldn't help but smile. The Christmas tree lights were on, and the entire house smelled like pine and cinnamon and- breakfast. She could smell eggs and bacon and waffles- and none of it smelled burned. Dick carried her into the kitchen where the still warm oven was open, keeping the room heated. The kitchen table was set with their nice china and fresh glasses, filled with beautifully prepared food and fresh squeezed orange juice. A crystal bowl of juicy fresh cut strawberries sat in the center. Dick led her to her seat and pushed her chair in for her. Harley glared at him suspiciously.

"You can't cook."

"Ivy," he shrugged, smiling. "She offered to help me, we had a nice chat, and then she left. She didn't even want to eat anything."

"So let me get this straight, you had me sit outside in the cold instead of eating fresh bacon?" She grinned. Dick stared at her.

"Yes."

"Okay," Harley grabbed a piece, "but if it's cold," she warned, still smiling. It was warm and perfectly cooked, and Dick beamed at her.

"Told you," he smirked, drinking his orange juice.

"Well you didn't cook it, so I don't know what you're grinning about." She stuck her tongue out at him before picking out a strawberry. Dick glanced at her and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Sorry," he took his hand away, his face darkly serious. "I'll stop smiling," he watched her, his blue eye intent and piercing, his jaw tight. Harley watched him for a second.

"Having fun there?" she asked.

"I could watch you all day," he said calmly. His face _was_ different when he wasn't smiling, his dark brows hanging heavy over light eyes. His cheekbones and jaw were sharper and more angular. He laced his fingers and rested his chin on them.

"Well serious _Batman_ , are you going to help me eat any of this?" Harley drizzled syrup over her waffle. Dick cut his waffles, glancing at her, his eyes still shining lovingly.

"Being like Bruce isn't so bad," he shrugged. "Maybe _that's_ why we can never figure out what he's thinking."

"Yeah because he doesn't smile is why we don't know what he's thinking." She smiled at him over her orange juice. "Even when you're not smiling, you're not that mysterious."

Dick actually frowned. "That was hurtful."

"I'm sorry," Harley laughed. "Did I crush your dreams?"

"God, I can _never_ be the Dark Knight now," he dramatically slammed his empty juice glass down on the table.

"Damn it," Harley cried. "You know the truth."

Dick couldn't stop himself from laughing and grinning at her. His face softened, his eyes lightened, and he just seemed to look… different. He shook his head, chuckling. "Tried it once. Wasn't as fun as I'd thought."

"It was a lot more fun for me," she told him. "You actually laughed as Batman. It was weird."

"Your jokes _were_ funny," he shrugged, smiling as he finished his breakfast. "And could you really tell it was me?" he glanced at her, starting to clear the table. He loaded the dishwasher and put away the syrup and the butter. When Harley had finished, he put her plate in the dishwasher, and then gave Wally and Clark the rest of the bacon and sausage.

"I knew it wasn't the same Batman, but I didn't know who it was." She shrugged. "I'd never spent that much time around Nightwing."

"Yeah, we never got much quality time together," he smirked.

"What a shame." Harley got up, stretching as she walked over to him. "We'll just have to make up for that now."

"Don't start," Dick laughed, taking her hand. "Or at least wait," he kissed the corner of her lips and then scooped her up, carrying her into the living room. He sat down on the couch and pulled the blankets over them. There was a plate of the Christmas cookies that they'd made on the coffee table, as well as a steaming mug of cocoa for her beside his beat up blue travel mug. Dick picked up the remote and turned on a Christmas movie. _It's a Wonderful Life_ was playing.

"You really did go all out didn't you?" She laughed, curling up beside him. Dick put his arm over the back of the couch and smiled.

"Aw, the movie's almost over," he sighed. "Another one will be on."

"It's okay." Harley grabbed her mug, blowing on the coca to cool it. "We get the nice ending even if we missed the build up."

"There's plenty of others to watch, too," he sighed happily, glancing out the window. Clouds were blowing over the city, casting it into grayscale again. Dick looked around their colorfully decorated living room, smiling.

"And didn't you say we have all day?" Harley leaned up to kiss his cheek before settling back down in the blankets with her head on his shoulder.

"To do Christmassy things," he specified, smiling.

"So what, we're on a schedule?"

"Not at all. We just have to do festive things. I demand it."

"Yes sir." Harley tugged her hand out of the blankets to salute. Dick laughed.

"You're cute," he smiled and kissed her head, sitting up and pointing at the window. "It's snowing again!" he cried, half in excitement, and half in disappointment.

"Is the snow ruining your plans?" Harley laughed.

"No, but it'll be colder if Bruce drags us out tonight," he pouted. Harley laughed harder.

"Oh that's cute. You think Selina is letting anyone out tonight?" Dick bit his lip.

"Bruce will put up a fight," he said warningly. "I'm okay with that, but Bruce isn't going to think of that, and he's not going to like it."

"It's the night before his wedding. I'm sorry, he can fight all he wants, but he is _going_ to lose." Harley shook her head as she giggled.

"And what about me? Bruce will choose me as his second," Dick raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear my previous statement?" Harley smiled. "There is no way Selina is letting anyone out tonight. It's the day before her wedding, and we all do as we're told."

"Alright, alright," Dick laughed softly.

"Good. Now keep that in mind for another wedding in your future." She nudged him. Dick laughed.

"I would _never_ do that to you," he squeezed her and kissed her cheek.

"But you'll also have to keep your brothers and Bruce in line," she reminded him. "But I suppose you could always threaten them with me." She smirked.

"They're scared of you," he agreed with a laugh.

"Slightly offended, slightly proud," Harley admitted.

"I'd be proud. You scare Batman. And nobody scares Batman," Dick glanced down at her, kissing the corner of her lips.

"Nobody but a five seven, twenty-six year old blonde pregnant woman. We _must_ tell the villains." Harley giggled. Dick smirked.

"Let's not, lest they decide to kidnap you and use you as a weapon," he snorted, nuzzling her cheek.

"Please," she scoffed. "Once they hear Batman's afraid of me, I'll be untouchable." She turned her face and kissed his nose. Dick closed his eyes and smiled.

"I feel bad that Ivy is upstairs all alone. You call her down, I call Jason?" he grinned.

"I don't know," Harley sighed. "I think I'd rather get kicked in the shin. _Both_ shins."

"I don't think it would work, either." He shrugged. "I still feel bad that she's all alone up there."

"We could ask her if she wants to join us in here," she offered. She gave him a quick kiss, resting her forehead against his. "If that's what you want."

"I think she could use some Christmas cheer. Unless the tree just pisses her off," he glanced at it.

"I don't know." Harley frowned at it. Dick leaned his head back over the couch.

"Ivy!" he shouted at the stairs, waiting for an answer. After a pause, they could hear her walking down the stairs.

"What?" she snapped, sauntering into the room and flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"Yay! Come snuggle!" Dick beamed at her. She looked between their two smiling faces.

"No." Ivy shook her head as she grabbed her coat from the coat closet. "I think I'd rather suffer through helping Selina."

"Don't go," Harley whined.

"Have a nice time." Ivy waved before she walked out the front door.

"Well that didn't work," Harley muttered. Dick shot off of the couch and followed her, stopping on the front step.

"Wait. Where are you going?" he asked, looking at her on the sidewalk.

"Why is that any of your business?"

"Because you've hidden up in _our_ guest room and sulked since you got here. You're in my and Harley's house, and we have barely seen you. Maybe you don't like me because I was Robin, or I took her away from you- but she's your friend! Why won't you spend any time with us?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

"I don't have anything against you, Wonder Boy." Ivy made a mock salute. "And I'm glad she's happy. About freaking time. I just can only tolerate so much mushy romance crap." She turned the collar of her coat up. "Not anymore." She gave him a half smile before continuing down the sidewalk.

"Well wait!" he came down the steps a bit. "Please stay. We'll tone it down- or something, just sit with us for a while. Watch a movie, drink some cocoa, tea- whatever you drink. Please?"

"Really, it's fine. I'll… sit by you two at the rehearsal dinner tonight or something, but with you two hiding out here, Selina really is going to pop her top without help. How about that drink later?" She gave him a small smile. Dick crossed his arms in the cold and smiled.

"I'm going to remind you," he agreed, smiling. "Tell Selina we'll be out in a while," he said as he turned back to the door.

"Don't ask me to tell her a promise you already don't want to keep," Ivy called after him, smirking. Dick glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm not asking," he smiled, closing the door behind him.


	9. Should Be Fun

_**Some work has to be done.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick spent the entire day at home, watching Christmas movies and eating cookies. It'd been nice after their fight, to spend time together.**_

 _ **Now they have to head to Wayne Manor for the rehearsal dinner; with the wedding tomorrow and after that- Bruce and Selina's honeymoon- there's a lot of work to be done.**_

"Do we have to look nice for this?" Dick called from the shower. The bathroom door was open, and Harley was trying on dresses in their bedroom. When Harley didn't answer, he kept going. "I'll take that as a yes. You know, I'm showering for this, is that good enough?" Dick heard Harley let out a short laugh. "I guess not, huh? What am I supposed to wear? Pull something out of the closet. If I try to pick my own clothes, you'll shoot me down anyway," he chuckled, rinsing the shampoo out of his dark hair and smoothing it back to his head.

Harley pulled a black chiffon dress on over her head. The sleeves were loose, and she adjusted the tight bands that cinched them around her elbows. She made sure the V-neck sat nicely on her chest before adjusting the band over her stomach. The chiffon fabric flowed around her thighs. It was one of her favorite maternity dresses even if her legs would be cold when she went outside. "How fancy are you willing to dress?" she asked, hanging up her discarded dresses as she looked through his clothes.

"You know me," he called. "Always dressed like a slob- let's just not go full suit, okay? Or at least no tie." Harley pulled out a pair of khakis and tossed them on the bed along with a white button up shirt. She then smiled at a green button up sweater with a pattern that looked Christmassy. She tossed it out with his other clothes before moving on to finish getting ready.

Dick reluctantly turned the hot water off and dried off, walking out into the bedroom with his towel around his waist. He flicked the sweater away from his shirt and picked up the slacks. He changed into the clothes she'd laid out and looked at the sweater. He looked at Harley. "Really?"

"Really," she told him, glancing up as she put her earrings in.

"Okay," he shrugged, pulling his arms through the sweater. "But you're to blame for any physical or verbal abuse that will come to me via my brothers," Dick glanced at her, running a hand through his damp hair. "This is good enough, right?" Despite having done nothing but showered, shaved, and put deodorant on- Dick looked incredibly handsome. His dark hair hung, messy but attractive, in front of his forehead, his light blue eyes well rested and bright. Their earlier nap must have helped with that. The sweater, cuffed up at the middle of his forearm and buttoned over his white dress shirt accentuated his athletic muscle tone, hugging his arms pleasantly.

"Definitely not." Harley walked over and tugged gently at the collar of his sweater. "I can't let you out in public like this. Someone might try and steal you away from me." She grinned, looking up at him through her lashes. She had just finished her makeup and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail after curling the ends. She had on a silver bracelet and earrings to match the trapeze necklace.

"If someone was going to steal me, that's just what they'd have to do. You know I won't go willingly. And are you sure you won't get cold in that dress?" he smiled a little, stroking her cheek.

"We'll just not spend time outside," Harley reasoned. "If you're feeling _really_ daring, we could not go out at all." She smirked.

"You were the one telling me that Selina would blow a fuse if we didn't show," he pointed out, laughing as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"She would." Harley grinned. "That's why I stressed 'really daring'."

"You're talking to a high wire and trapeze acrobat for twelve years, and a vigilante for thirteen. I can do 'daring'," he kissed her nose.

"You also won the Joker's girl away from him. I think you meet the really daring requirements." She giggled, wrinkling her nose.

"I hadn't thought about that. I guess I don't like to think about it like me stealing you, so much as you choosing me over him," he smiled gently, watching her laugh.

"Oh I picked you over him." She kissed his smile. "And you won the grand prize," she teased. Dick sighed deeply.

"We have a while before we have to go to the Manor," he pointed out, smiling a little. Harley chuckled.

"But we just finished getting ready, and while daring is fine, there is no way we're being late." She gave him another quick kiss. Dick smiled and took Harley's knees out from under her, catching her as they fell onto the bed.

"Maybe just a _little_ late," he grinned, kissing her slowly. Harley responded for a moment before kissing his nose.

"Sorry, but no." She stared up at him. "Are you going to let me up without a fight?" He shook his head no, biting his lip to hide his smiling. "You're cute and all, but that's not going to stop Selina from clawing your eyes out," she warned.

"I think Bruce can handle her for me," he whispered. She could feel him smiling as he kissed her again, biting her lip playfully. "So let's have a little time to ourselves before this hectic weekend starts. I promise I won't bite. Hard." Dick laughed, kissing down her neck so lightly it gave her chills.

"Stop," Harley moaned. Her hands messed up his hair as they tangled in it, and her eyes closed as her breathing hitched.

Dick ran a hand up her smooth leg and pulled it up around his hip, kissing her collarbone. He inhaled slowly, letting his breathing calm down. "I will. In about ten minutes," he whispered, his hand sliding under her skirt to her hip. Harley's hand stopped his. In one swift motion, she reversed their positions.

"And what makes you think you get a say in that?" she murmured in his ear. Dick smiled and stifled a moan, leaning his head back into the comforter, further disheveling his still damp hair. The sharp scent of his cologne mixed with her rosy perfume between them.

"I probably don't get a say. But I _do_ love it when you take control," he laughed breathlessly. Harley kissed his exposed neck.

"Oh you do?" Her lips skimmed across his skin. Dick smiled and nodded, his eyes still closed. He bit his lip and shuddered a bit.

Harley groaned when her phone started to ring. She glanced over where it was at on the end table and saw it was Selina calling.

"It's like she knows," she muttered.

"Just ignore it," Dick breathed, reaching up and catching her lips in a passionate kiss. One hand rested on the back of her head and the other still held her hip. Harley let it ring through to voicemail, her hands still twisted in his hair. When her phone started ringing again, she sat up with a sigh.

"I have to answer it."

"Fine," Dick whined, his hand still resting on her hip where she was straddling his waist. Harley reached for her phone on the bedside table and answered it.

"Hi Selina… No I didn't ignore your call." She wrinkled her nose at Dick. "Of course we won't be late… We're almost ready… Why does that matter? No that's-" She listened with a frown on her face. "Fine we're in bed, _but_ we are almost ready… Shut up. What do you want?" She stuck her tongue out a Dick with a smile. He laughed and sat up, kissing her neck. Harley caught his face and traced his lips with her finger, smiling. "Of course we can… _Yes_ Selina… We _won't_ be late. Scout's honor." She hung up. "She thinks we're going to be late. Can you believe it?" Dick mock-gasped.

"I would never!" He laughed, pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the bed with Harley in his lap. "What did she want?"

"We're supposed to pick up the flower arrangements she got for tonight and make sure the florist has everything ready for tomorrow." She shrugged. Dick groaned dramatically.

"Well _fine_ then," he said irritably, but he couldn't stop smiling. His dark hair was messy again, sticking up in the back and on one side.

"We skip all day helping set up, and you complain about getting flowers. You have it so hard don't you?" Harley put a mock pout on her face. Dick shrugged.

"We'd actually better get going if we're going to make it to the flower shop and then the rehearsal," he mused, standing up and putting her back on her feet. He led her downstairs and to the back door, helping her into her coat and pulling his black cargo coat on. Dick grabbed the keys. "And none of that stuff you did the other night in the car, this time," he looked at her pointedly, smiling.

"It's not my fault you can't handle it." Harley smirked.

"You're right, I clearly can't," he agreed seriously, locking the door behind them as they walked to the car. He helped her get into the passenger seat and then slid over the hood of the car, chuckling as he got into the driver's seat. He opened the door and pulled out of the garage. "And it is totally your fault."

"Totally not my fault. I just assumed someone trained by Batman would have control in spades." She giggled.

"Not quite that well trained- and certainly not from Batman," Dick smirked. "I know the rumors about Bruce but they're obviously not true…"

"I was not implying that, but if you wanna go there…" She laughed.

"I definitely do _not_ ," Dick shook his head, turning the heater up. "What florist is it?"

"Um the one… you know the one." Harley suddenly couldn't remember the name. "The wedding one? Like they _specialize_ in weddings. Like they're too good for prom or something. Next to a… a Chinese restaurant I think."

"Right. In Uptown Gotham. That's right on the way to the Manor, I've got it," he mentally planned the shortest route.

"Good because Selina would be pissed if I had to call her and ask the name." She smiled at him once before glancing out the window. Dick watched her for a moment before flicking the radio on to Christmas music and focusing on his driving. "So I can not decide what to get Alfred for Christmas," she suddenly blurted out. "What does one even get that man?"

"We usually just got him socks that he never wears. I bought him tea once. He's kind of a mystery, nobody really knows what he likes," Dick shrugged. "Not really even Bruce."

"Well I mean, I always have Haly, but you better start thinking of something." She bit her lip to try not to laugh.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" he laughed, pulling up in front of the flower shop.

"You know Haly is going to be the best gift that man has gotten since Damian showed up. Ooo! Just adopt another Robin! He'd love that." She giggled.

"I think Alfred would have a heart attack, actually. You didn't see how all of us acted in our Boy Wonder years. Pretty sure taking care of us was more stressful than the wars he fought in," Dick laughed, taking her hand as he helped her out of the car and they walked to the flower shop doors. Harley shook her head.

"I bet he loved every minute of it," she insisted.

"There were some times I'll bet he didn't enjoy," Dick smiled at the memories. The little bell rang above their heads as they walked in.

"But that's parenting, so you'd better get used to it." She gave him a peck on the cheek. Dick smiled at her and then looked at the woman at the counter.

"Um… Kyle? Or Wayne? Flowers for the… thing, the rehearsal tonight…" he shrugged, looking somewhat lost. The lady clicked her tongue as she looked for their order sheet. She was in a stained t-shirt and jeans, and there were untouched gray roots at the top of her brown hair.

"Here we go." She smiled up at them before scanning the list. "Okay, I'll have Jeff carry everything out. Is that your car in front?" Harley nodded.

"We're also the large wedding order for tomorrow?"

"Yup. We'll have that ready and delivered by tomorrow morning," the woman assured her. She waved over her shoulder to them as she turned to head back to the greenhouse, humming.

"Why couldn't Selina have them deliver today like they're doing tomorrow?" Harley asked Dick, not expecting him to answer. She wandered around the counters. "Sometimes she doesn't think things through." She paused and picked up a magazine. "Look." She smiled at him from behind the cover of the bridal magazine. Dick laughed.

"I'm looking forward to the one you pick. You gonna wear red?" he smirked, looking at all the flowers with his hands in his pockets. Harley grinned at him.

"Maybe. I'm not exactly virgin white am I?" She tossed the magazine back on the counter and peered into a display case. Dick smiled a little and plucked a rose from the vase on the counter, holding it out to her as he leaned on the display case.

"White is too toned down for you. You need something brighter," he watched her, still smiling like an idiot.

"What, like yellow?" Harley grinned, taking the rose and smelling it. Dick watched her, frowning a bit.

"Yellow? Only if we're having a spring wedding," he said matter-of-factly.

"Hmm." Harley swayed a little. "How does June sound?"

"Well if it's in June, we may as well have it on the first day of summer," Dick smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning against the counter.

"Then it's not spring. Darn it. No yellow." She giggled, brushing his hair away from his eyes.

"I changed my mind, yellow is better for summer," he laughed, biting his lip.

"Do you really want me to walk down the aisle in yellow?" she laughed. "Won't I blind people?"

"Not if it's a soft yellow," he argued. Dick smoothed a flyaway hair back to her ponytail. "More like this," he smiled, his fingers playing with the curls in her hair.

"Well I can't wear a dress that matches my hair. I'd just be one big yellow blob." She rolled her eyes behind her glasses. Dick laughed, putting his other hand on her hip.

"Well you would still be a damn fine yellow blob," he smiled.

"But still a blob, so yellow is out." She twirled the rose thoughtfully. "I guess it would depend what we pick for wedding colors." Dick leaned his head back and groaned dramatically.

"This is already getting hard," he teased, smiling at her.

"I know. There's things like place settings, location, size, catering, and flowers," she looked around, "and we can't even pick a color. Maybe we should just have Damian plan it. He'd probably be pretty good at it."

"Except his expertise lies in threatening all of the above," Dick laughed. "We're going to be late."

"That's not our fault. We are doing what we're told." She grinned into her flower. He laughed.

"If Selina gets mad, that's our excuse," he smiled, stroking her cheek. He couldn't stop smiling, and he wouldn't take his eyes off of her.

"I think she gestured over your shoulder that everything was loaded a couple of minutes ago, but I'm going to pretend I didn't see anything." She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. Dick laughed and stole another kiss.

"Come on," he smiled, his hand sliding into hers as he led her out to the car and helped her in. Dick smirked as they drove off, towards the bridge out of Gotham.

"What are you so smiley about?" Harley poked his cheek. Dick laughed.

"I'm not smiley! This is how I am! Would you rather me stop again?" he asked, glancing at her.

"I'd rather you keep your eyes on the road since we found out how easily distracted you are," she teased. Dick smiled a little.

"It's not my fault, it's yours," he mumbled. "If you weren't so damn beautiful, with the hair, and the glasses…" he looked back out the windshield.

"Well what about you? With _your_ hair, and that smile… then there's your eyes- and your body, we can't forget your body- but you don't see me getting distracted. Well… I did get distracted long enough to get knocked up, but nuances." She shrugged. Dick snorted and then actually laughed out loud.

"Yeah, that was no big deal," he smiled, biting his lip as he pulled to a stop in front of the Manor.

"Wait. Your place, your condoms, your fault," Harley decided, giggling. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "Because I'm not."

"Nope." She beamed at him. "Should be fun, right?" Dick got out and helped her out of the car, smiling unsurely.

"Should be fun. Right."


	10. A Disaster

_**Let the chaos begin.**_

 _ **The wedding is less than twenty four hours away, and the rehearsal dinner is already falling apart. Dick and Harley are caught up in each other, Jason and Ivy are at each other's throats, and here is the last place that Damian wants to be.**_

 _ **This family fighting is no surprise, but the tension goes as far up as Bruce and Selina tonight, and the pressure is mounting. The bridesmaids and the groomsmen aren't making anything worse, but they're not exactly helping; the wedding could be off before it even begins.**_

"Jason, stand behind Clark," Selina warned. Jason groaned from where he was sitting in one of the white chairs. Some of the rows had been set up, but most of the chairs were still on racks.

"We already ran through this," he whined.

"And you've ruined every run through," Barbara snapped, pulling her beanie down over her ears. The big white ceremony tent was only half erected despite Selina and Damian's threats. The men from the company hurried around in the work lights to finish while the heaters were set to the side to be set up later.

"It's just practice Barb, take it easy." Jason reluctantly got up.

"Hurry up, it's cold," Steph complained as Jason obediently walked to his place beside Ivy. Harley stuck her hands in Dick's coat pocket, leaning her head on his shoulder as Selina went over for the third time when they would walk forward. Bruce stood stiffly at the other end of the tent with the priest.

"Okay," Selina walked to the back of the group and stood beside Alfred. "Jason, don't trip anyone this time."

"No promises," he called back. The musicians hadn't shown up to practice because of the cold, but Steph happily yelled out the wedding march as Clark and Barbara started toward Bruce.

Selina watched them all hopefully, her hands clasped nervously. Dick glanced at her and smirked at Harley. "Bet you ten that Jason ruins this one because he won't let Ivy hold his arm," he whispered.

"Selina yelled at them after the second run through for that," Harley whispered back, "but I still bet it's ruined." Ivy and Jason moved forward next, as far apart as they could manage with their arms barely touching. "What were we supposed to count to before following? I forgot already." She giggled, taking her hands out of his pocket to loop her arm through his.

"I don't know, I've been asleep for the past hour," Dick snorted. "God look at Bruce up there like a deer in headlights- he's so out of his comfort zone-" Harley elbowed him, snickering.

"I think we're supposed to go. Let's just walk at 'Selina's approved pace', and hope we're right." She started forward, turning to glare over her shoulder when Steph tried to step on her shoe. Dick bit his lip, fighting the urge to smile.

"This is so regulated. I didn't know I'd signed up for the army," he muttered. Harley rolled her eyes at the sound of Selina scolding Steph and Tim for improper arm placement.

"I say we make a break for it. Alfred can't have hidden all that food."

A grin broke across Dick's face. "I know, right! Did you smell that stuff?! It smells amazing," he whispered, and then let go of her as they crossed to their appropriate sides. Ivy leaned toward Harley as she took her place.

"Can I just-"

"-No manslaughter at a wedding," Harley warned. Ivy frowned and straightened back up. Steph giggled as she stood beside Harley.

"What mutiny do we have planned this time?" she asked.

"I'm leaving that all to Jason." They all glanced over at Jason who waved back. Clark smacked him on the back of the head for Bruce. Dick beamed over Jason's shoulder, mouthing an 'I love you' before winking at Harley. Harley rolled her eyes as Damian and Cass took their places, but quickly schooled her features as Selina glared at them. Alfred handed her off to Bruce, and they faced the priest.

"To start," he looked at his notes, "I'll be doing-"

"-Jason," Selina snapped. "Do not even think of trying to leave. Don't think I've forgotten you disappearing to go get beer." Jason shuffled back in line.

"I offered to bring everyone some," he whined. "Why do I need to stand here for this?"

"Because you'll have to stand there for the ceremony. Now stay put," she warned. Steph glanced at Harley, putting her mittens over her mouth. The priest glanced around at all of them.

"After I do the opening remarks, and say everything," he skimmed quickly through his notes, "I'll remind you of your duties, and then we'll-"

"-Is that where objections come in," Jason interrupted, "because I object." He pointed at Selina. "This lady is very bossy."

"Jason! That is _not_ funny," Dick glared at him.

"This isn't even real," Jason cried dramatically. "This ceremony isn't real, that man is not really her father," he pointed at Alfred, "that woman is not real," he pointed at Ivy who glared at him, "and that is probably not a real priest."

"Shut up Jason. I want to sit down somewhere where it's warm," Harley told him. The priest used the momentary silence to rush on.

"Then we'll do the vows and the ring exchange. Finally I can pronounce-"

"-I also see no ring bearer," Jason added. "How can this be a real wedding with no ring bear? I expect a grizzly here by tomorrow." Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Jason, shut _up_ ," Dick said angrily, his tone harsh.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'm just saying bears could go a long way in livening this up."

" _Finally_ , I can pronounce you man and wife," the priest continued, "and we can be done."

"Hallelujah," Steph cried. "I'm going inside."

"We still didn't get a smooth run through," Selina complained.

"Selina, please," Bruce said quietly. "It will be fine. Everyone is cold, and this is getting tiresome." Harley hurried around them and grabbed Dick's hand, pulling him along.

"Come on," she whispered.

"You're tired of this?" Selina asked. Harley cringed at Dick as Steph and Tim caught up behind them in their attempt to flee.

"Screw that, I'm getting food," Steph muttered. Bruce rubbed his face.

"Yeah, Selina, we've been working on this all day. I was out all night last night, and I'm tired. I need to breathe a bit," he snapped a little. Dick glanced over his shoulder.

"Shit, move move _move_ -" he pulled Harley faster and scooped her up into his arms, running out of the tent as Selina exploded.

"We left Alfred behind!" Harley cried dramatically, reaching back over Dick's shoulder as she watched everyone scatter toward the house. Dick laughed as Tim ran beside him.

"Every man for himself!" he shouted, and then slipped and fell face first in the snow. Dick glanced over his shoulder and burst into laughter before losing his footing and falling backwards. The snow poofed out around him as he hit the ground, still holding Harley safely in his arms. Tim cackled behind him. "Ha! That's what you get, asshole!" Harley brushed snow off of him.

"Are you okay?" she laughed. Dick groaned in pain, rubbing his head.

"Holy karma, Batman…" he winced as he straightened up, laughing a little.

"I'm sorry." Harley giggled and kissed his forehead. "All better?"

"Better," he agreed, taking her hand and walking towards the back patio. Tim pranced up beside him.

"Ha ha," he grinned. Dick shoved him backwards into the snow again, laughing. He kept walking and reached the door, stamping the snow off as best he could before walking in.

"I hope we didn't lose anyone," Harley glanced back out the door, holding her coat tighter around herself. "But I'm not going back for anyone."

"Neither am I. Let's see if we can find that food," he grinned, taking his coat off and dropping it on the floor with his hat. His khakis were completely ruined. Harley glared at him.

"There is a hook for that less than two feet away." She unzipped her coat and hung it up. Dick pulled her along.

"Come on. It's gotta be in the kitchen somewhere right?"

"Try the dining room. Selina probably made Alfred go all fancy."

"Good idea," Dick smiled, turning towards the dining room and starting down the hall.

"Do you need to beat everyone there? What's the hurry?" Harley rolled her eyes, letting him pull her along.

"The hurry is I'm _starving_." he smiled at her over his shoulder. "Do you think we'll get to eat right away? No. Selina or someone will make a toast, and then we'll start talking and no one will serve the food…"

"Depending if you get there before Selina," Harley reminded him. "You could get a whole helping in before she's done yelling at Bruce."

"Exactly!" Dick laughed, opening the doors to the dining room wide and strolling in. "Let's eat a ton of desserts first," he elbowed her, grinning. Jason elbowed him aside.

"Move. There has got to be potato salad in here somewhere."

"Don't eat it all!" Dick whined.

"Cake!" Steph cried as she burst into the room at the same time as Tim.

"Potato salad!" he cried.

"Who the _hell_ makes potato salad in winter for a wedding rehearsal dinner?" Dick laughed.

"Look who I found in the hall," Barbara said as she walked into the room. Sam and Gordon were with her while the Collins family followed behind.

"Hey guys." Harley smiled as Lilly ran over to Dick. Jason and Tim were running around the table trying to find the bowl of salad. Dick scooped Lilly up, twirling her around.

"How's my little ice queen!? Did you do all of this outside! It's pretty cold," he laughed. She wiggled her fingers in front of Dick's face.

"Magic!" she cried. Molly watched her with a smile.

"It was, however, too cold for her to be at the rehearsal that long. How did it go?"

"We don't talk about it," Harley said with a serious face.

"Bruce and Selina are still yelling at each other," Cass chimed in, sitting down. Dick kissed Lilly's cheek, laughing.

"Can you make it snow in here? If you get to be Elsa, who am I?" he asked, smiling. "Am I Hans?"

"No you're Anna," Harley told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm Kristoff because blondes have to stick together and Jason is Sven."

Dick grinned at her, and then looked at Lilly. "Are you ready to go tomorrow? You're a pretty important part of the wedding," he smiled, holding her tight.

"Have you seen my dress?" she squealed, pulling on his sweater.

"I'm not supposed to see that until the wedding!" he gasped.

"We had to put it away when she insisted on wearing it and almost spilled grape juice," Molly said. Lilly pouted.

"Bruce and Selina alert," Steph warned, peeking out the door. Jason groaned, standing up and grabbing his coat.

"Alright, I'm out of here," he yawned, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and sticking it behind his ear. Dick put Lilly on her feet.

"Jay, sit down," he sighed.

"You gonna stop me, big bro?" Jason raised his eyebrows. Dick's jaw tightened a bit.

"Yeah, I am. You have been a complete-" he glanced at Lilly- " _jerk_ all evening, Jason. Why can't you just be happy for Bruce and Selina? Or at least shut your trap and sit quietly and support Bruce. I hope you're not planning on acting like this tomorrow," he said, an edge to his voice. Jason rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Dick. I'll take my lumps and be a good little soldier," he scoffed, pulling his collar up around his neck. "Besides, Clark left." Dick shook his head. Bruce and Selina walked into the dining room, looking like they were still angry with each other. Damian looked at Bruce and shook his head ever so slightly. The room had gotten a bit tense.

"Why are you acting like this? You're never this rude, Jay, at least not around us. Who are you trying to impress?" he asked, before glancing at Ivy. Dick laughed wryly. "Seriously? What the _hell_ happened between you two to make you like this? Both of you are acting like petty kids!"

"Don't act like you know what you're talking about," Jason warned, taking the cigarette out from behind his ear. Dick stared at him incredulously.

"Fine. I won't try to help you- but you _have_ to behave yourself. I think you're just-"

"-like I care what you think, Dick," Jason snapped. Dick stared at him, before clamping his hands over Lilly's ears.

"I think you're acting like a baby, because everyone around you is in a happy relationship and you fucked yours up," he hissed. "Get over it. This is about Selina and Bruce, not you." Dick gave him one last glare before ruffling Lilly's hair. He scooped her up. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get some food! Can I sit by you, Queen Elsa?" Lilly giggled as he walked away towards the table. Dick sat down and planted Lilly on his lap, kissing her cheek. "I bet we could go steal some ice cream from the kitchen," he whispered. She beamed as everyone sat down around them.

Everyone was crammed next to each other despite how big the table was. Bruce and Selina were both positioned on either side of the head of the table, still a little tense with each other. Gordon sat beside Bruce with Sam on his other side so Barbara could sit next to Dick. Harley sat down next to Dick, giving him a kiss on the cheek as Damian hid on the other side of her. He was mad at Bruce for not letting him visit Carrie earlier that day, and he knew he wouldn't have time to see her until after the wedding. Steph was beside him and directly opposite Bruce, leaning onto Tim in his chair. Cass was across from Damian looking bored with an annoyed Ivy beside her. Molly was beside her while Jason was stuck awkwardly between Will and Alfred. Alfred was at Selina's elbow and looked around at the incredible noise everyone was making.

Tim was throwing rolls at Jason who had hid the potato salad in his lap. Cass speared a piece of ham with her knife and nibbled on it.

"Barbara stop hogging the gravy," Steph whined.

"I don't even want it," Barbara laughed, passing it down the table. She went back to holding Sam's hand under the table. Lilly almost dumped it over the tablecloth when she insisted on helping Dick pass it.

"So, Molly, Will," Harley grinned, "welcome to the chaos."

"Is it always like this?" Will asked, laughing a little.

"Pretty much," Dick beamed. Lilly laughed.

"I like it!" she cried, throwing her dinner roll at Tim. He looked shocked when it hit him in the face, and then he laughed. Lilly burst into giggles.

"And does everyone here know that you're…" Molly paused and looked around the table, "Nightwing?" she whispered. The table grew quiet and tense, and Bruce glared at Dick.

"You're _what_?!" Jason cried dramatically, shoveling a heaping of corn on his plate.

"Shut up moron," Ivy snapped.

"No one asked you, Pussy Willow," Jason hissed, leaning around Will. Dick glanced guiltily at Bruce and bit his lip.

"Yes," he answered, blushing a little bit. "Jason is just kidding," Dick smiled at Molly, nodding. "They're, um… a hard lot to keep a secret from." He laughed wryly.

"We're sharp like that," Jason said. "I mean can you believe Harley? She was a psychologist. Crazy past right?" Alfred cleared his throat, glaring at Jason as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"So Selina," Harley said quickly. "Is everything set for tomorrow?"

"As set as it ever will be," she straightened her hair a bit, looking tired. "They have the tent set up, the heaters warming up, and they're setting up the chairs. It will be up to you tomorrow to make sure that everything is ready in the morning," Selina looked to Barbara.

"Of course." She smiled. "Everything will be fine. We have plenty of time to get ready."

"As long as the ceremony isn't a disaster," Selina added. Jason smiled through a mouthful of food.

"Stop being a tool Jay," Steph whined. "I'd threaten to sic Cass on you, but you might end up sleeping with her again." Ivy dropped her fork on her plate.

"That is…" Jason stuttered as Cass blushed. "Just sit there with your loser of a boyfriend and be quiet."

"At least he's not a stripper," Steph countered.

"So who wants dessert?" Harley asked loudly.

"Ice cream!" Lilly shouted, oblivious to the tension at the table. Dick jumped and then laughed.

"Is it in the kitchen, Al?" Dick asked as Alfred stood up. He waved a hand. "No, I'll get it," Dick smiled, standing up and tossing Lilly over his shoulder. She squealed in delight and laughed, kicking her legs. Dick chuckled. "Come on, ice cream monster, let's go get it…" their voices trailed off as he walked out of the room.

"So a stripper?" Ivy asked. "At least you found someone who suits you."

"She was an improvement," Jason agreed. Harley mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Will and Molly who were trapped between them. Will shook his head, smiling a bit. Selina looked down at her plate, her lips pursed.

"Jason," Bruce warned. "Please stop."

"Well, I'm going to be honest with you," Steph stood up, "this is a disaster." She grabbed Tim's hand. "We are leaving to actually do something worthwhile this evening." Tim smiled sheepishly as Steph pulled him out. Harley noticed that Damian had already slipped out.

"In that case," Jason stood up.

"Sit down," Bruce warned.

"That's so not fair," he muttered, sinking back into his chair.

"I should be heading out," Gordon told Bruce. "I'll see you all tomorrow, and congratulations again. And Officer Young," he glanced at Sam, "you are on duty tonight."

"Yes sir." Sam nodded. Gordon kissed Barbara on the cheek before leaving.

"I think I'll… go out tonight," Cass said quietly, looking out the dark windows.

"I'll come." Bruce stood up, but Selina grabbed his arm.

"Don't even think about it," she warned. Bruce's jaw tightened.

"I have to go on patrol," he said under his breath to her, glancing around the table.

"This is the night before your _wedding_ ," she reminded him.

"I can go," Jason offered, halfheartedly raising his hand.

"Are you sure Cass has nothing to do with it?" Ivy asked.

"We're not having this discussion here," Bruce said coldly, looking pointedly at Selina. Barbara glanced at them and touched Sam's shoulder.

"If you're on duty tonight- I'll show you to the door," she stood, blushing a bit as she led him out of the room, eager to get away from the argument sure to start. Will stood up when they left.

"I think we'll go help Dick and Lilly…" he said awkwardly, and then pulled Molly towards the door.

"And if you're on duty tonight," Selina told Bruce, " _I'll_ show _you_ to the door."

"Selina, we _talked_ about this," he said shortly.

"No, you talked _at_ me about this." She crossed her arms. "I feel like I've been pretty understanding, but I just can't understand how patrol is more important than your upcoming wedding." Harley glanced at the door, hoping Dick would come save her.

"You won't even let me sleep in the same room with you tonight!" he rubbed his face. "It's not like I'll be missing anything."

"Um, Jay, let's go get ready," Cass said quickly in the pause, pulling on his coat sleeve.

"Yup." He quickly got up. "See you later, _Birch_." He mock saluted Ivy on the way out.

"Master Wayne," Alfred sighed. "I thought I raised you to behave more gentlemanly than this." Bruce breathed in through his nose, and then out through his mouth.

"Fine. I'm going to bed," he said calmly, looking at Harley and Ivy. "I'm very sorry you had to witness this, ladies, I hope you have a good night, despite this." He bowed courteously and walked out of the room. Alfred looked down, before standing and removing his coat. He rolled up his sleeves and began clearing the table, stacking plates and piling the napkins together for the wash. Without looking up, he spoke quietly.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Selina."

She looked at him and smiled a bit. "Thank you, Alfred. I think I'll be turning in… don't want to look tired at my wedding…" Selina wandered off. Dick and Lilly came back into the room, laughing. He stopped, staring at the empty table.

"So… no ice cream?"


	11. The Night Before

_**Some people have all the luck.**_

 _ **A phrase here meaning; some people's relationships thrive, while others suffer. The stress caused by the rehearsal dinner nearly launched Selina and Bruce into a panic, but Harley and Dick weren't even phased. They couldn't be happier with each other and where they're at in their lives, while others are falling behind.**_

 _ **They reflect the stages of their relationships. Jason and Ivy couldn't be more in turmoil, separated but anxious to solve their problems, Dick and Harley are blissfully oblivious to the rest of the world, caught up in each other; Bruce and Selina prepare to take a huge step- for better or for worse.**_

"You look absolutely stunning," Dick beamed, twirling Harley. Her skirt spun out a bit. Her shoes dangled from her hand, and Dick had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. The Manor was quiet; Damian had stolen a motorbike again to go see Carrie, Jason and Cassandra had gone on patrol, Bruce, Selina, Tim, and Stephanie had all dispersed into the Manor and- for the moment- it was calm. Dick and Harley hadn't gone home yet, and were instead wandering the halls in the dark, talking.

"And you look dashing as always." Harley grinned, pretending to keep waltzing around him. He watched her, beaming. He laced his fingers with hers and pulled her towards the ballroom doors. He peeked in.

"Come on," he laughed, pulling her into the dark ballroom. Moonlight sparkled through the glass of the high windows, slightly illuminating the chairs and tables set up for the reception tomorrow. Towards the windows and the french doors was half a dance floor. Dick smiled, looking around at the classy decoration. "Wow, they did good." Harley spun in a full circle to take it all in.

"This looks amazing," she grinned at him, "but there is no way we're having a wedding this large."

"No. Imagine how pissed they would be if we eloped?" Dick laughed, wandering over to the head table and dropped into Bruce's chair, crossing his legs and grinning deviously at her, the moon casting shadows on his face.

"That would solve the whole problem of me being wanted and not being able to be public." She stood on the other side of the table and leaned her hands on it, smiling at him. Dick leaned forward.

"I'm sorry, you're blocking my view of my kingdom," he said seriously, raising his eyebrows; his voice was a spooky imitation of Bruce, before he broke into a grin.

"I'm terribly sorry sir. Allow me to get out of your way." She giggled and took a step back. Dick laughed and motioned her closer, smiling. He kissed her nose across the table and then leaned back. His face lit when he saw a mic on the table and he picked it up, flicking the button. Dick jumped when he tapped it on the table and it echoed in the room. He grinned. Sitting back, he watched Harley and brought the mic to his lips.

"I love you," he smiled, biting his lip. Harley leaned in close to the mic.

"I love you too."

Dick smiled at her, pulling the mic out from between them and kissing her gently. He broke it off with a smile.

* * *

Selina ignored the second knock at their bedroom door. She'd only come to grab her pajamas, but he wasn't in the room. She could only assume that he'd left their bedroom for her. When the knock came again, she threw the covers back furiously and walked to the door, yanking it open. "What now, Bruce? I thought you were going out!" She demanded. She'd washed her makeup off, and her hair stuck up a bit on the side. Pulling the strap of her short silk babydoll nightdress back up on her shoulder, she crossed her arms.

"Alfred insisted I stay in a guest room." Bruce ran a hand nervously through his hair. He'd loosened his tie and undone a few buttons on his shirt. "I just came to get something to wear to bed."

"Oh," Selina looked down, walking back to the bed. She glanced over her shoulder and then down. Bruce walked toward the closet; he paused on the way there.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. Selina smiled down at the floor, rubbing her arm a bit. Her dark hair curled at her neck.

"Me too," she whispered.

"It's just… We're going to be going on our honeymoon, and Dick will be in charge," he tried to explain. "With everything that's happening… I guess I was just always hoping I could fix it before we left, so I didn't have to worry. I want it to be just me and you on our honeymoon and nothing else, and since I can't be with you tonight…"

"I know, Bruce," she said quietly, still not turning to face him. She sat down on the bed and folded her hands in her lap. Her dress cut low in the back, exposing her smooth back and soft shoulders. "You don't have to explain." Bruce watched her for a moment. He moved to sit by her, taking her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she smiled a little, looking at the window. "Just… isn't it supposed to be more magical than this?" Selina looked down, taking a deep breath quietly. "Tonight was a disaster, and I'm terrified of tomorrow. I've looked the Joker straight in the face and held my ground, but the thought of you looking into my eyes at the altar…" she looked up. "I'm scared to death," she smiled, laughing a little.

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Because I'm afraid you'll see it," she breathed, squeezing his hand.

"See what?"

"That I couldn't go on living without you."

* * *

Dick spun Harley around the dance floor to no music but their laughter and their breathing, fast and lighthearted. He'd abandoned his sweater and rolled the sleeves of his white button up shirt to his elbows. The collar was unbuttoned, exposing his thin neck and the top of his chest. The bottom was still loosely tucked into his pants. He pulled her close, waltzing a bit before dipping her. He grinned down at her, one strong arm around her waist and holding her steady.

"I can tango, too," he beamed, pulling her up and dragging her along in a tango. She burst into laughter as he swung his hips out, throwing his head back dramatically. Harley had to admit, he wasn't bad. It would be sexy if it wasn't so funny. Dick spun her out away from him, spinning on his heel and stopping, his hips swaying to his imaginary beat. Harley covered her mouth as she laughed, watching him. Dick grinned at her, snapping his fingers. "Know who taught me that?" he asked, as he stopped and pushed his hair back. He flicked it to the side seductively, raising one dark eyebrow. Harley shook her head, still smiling. "Alfred." She burst into a fresh round of giggles, provoking another stupid grin on his face.

"Well he was a great teacher," she laughed. Dick grabbed her hand and pulled her as close as he could with her belly between them, still smiling. He danced slowly as he laced his fingers with hers, humming a Christmas song under his breath as he did.

"Where did _you_ learn to dance? I mean, you've been able to follow everything I've done so far," he said quietly, dancing a slow waltz.

"From you." Harley kissed his cheek. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course. I just wanted to make sure you remembered," he nodded seriously before laughing. His pale eyes shone in the moonlight.

"How could I forget?" She smiled up at him. "It was a pretty memorable night."

"It's what started everything," he agreed. "If I could have done that night differently, I would have. If I had the chance to go back, knowing what I knew now… I wouldn't have let you run away. But that doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past, isn't it? It's you and me now. That was an incredible night," he smiled at her. "Up until that point."

"It was pretty incredible," Harley agreed. "And…" she furrowed her brow, "I didn't like who I was, up until that point." She stopped dancing. "Dick, I… I like who I am with you; the person I am. While I regret the life I lived before, it's something… It's like your life at the circus. Doesn't it seem like it was a different life? Like it was something that led up to your life with Bruce, becoming Robin, being here?" She looked up at him, blushing a little. "While I hate who I was and the life I lived, it's… It's something I can't completely regret, I suppose, because it- being Harley Quinn- who I was- is what led me to being here, with you." She smiled sheepishly. "Without all of the things I did, I never would have met you." Dick watched her lovingly, smiling. He nodded.

"I suppose you're right. I don't know what I would have done if we'd never found each other."

"So, I guess you could say everything after that point turned out pretty okay."

"We're doing a lot better than okay," he smiled, his fingers lacing with hers. He looked down at her engagement ring on her finger, with the nearly-worn out piece of string from the safety net tied just above it. Dick laughed a little. "I can't believe you kept this," he beamed, and then kissed her hand. Harley smiled at the string.

"It reminds me I always have someone to catch me."

* * *

"Selina." Bruce grabbed her by the waist, picking her up and setting her on his lap. He reached up and cupped her chin with one hand, lifting it up to look at him while his other hand brushed her bangs away from her face. He chuckled. "What on Earth possessed you to think I would ever leave you?" He leaned his forehead against hers. "I would die without you."

"You'll die with or without me," she cried, covering her face. "I know you'll never leave me, but that doesn't mean you'll always come home. One night Batman won't come back, and we'll find you in the street somewhere... and I just don't want that night to be tonight." She choked. "I know I'm being ridiculous and I know- I know that I'm not-" she burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck, putting her head on his shoulder. Her thin body trembled, and she couldn't look at him. "I just don't want that night to be tonight. We never get the good without the bad, and I'm just waiting for something to go wrong," she whispered, her head hanging heavy on his shoulder.

"Don't think like that." Bruce ran his hand through her hair. "Don't. We're going to be fine. If you think I would ever let anyone take me away from you… Selina I love you. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, but you know I'm Batman too. But… if I ever had to choose Batman over you. You know what the answer would be. I'm here aren't I? I'm still fighting for you. No matter what, I will keep fighting for you. Nothing- no villain or faceless, unknown enemy- could ever stop me from coming back to you."

Selina took a deep breath, wiping the tears off of her cheeks as she sat back. "I know." She moved a little so that she straddled his lap, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Of course I know you're right," she breathed. Her pale green eyes were rimmed in red, making the color stand out even more; the stark contrast of her dark tousled hair and her pale skin were emphasized by the lamplight. She laughed a little. "The wedding planning is all finished, what else do I have to worry about?" she smiled, taking her hands away from his shoulders as she looked down, smoothing her short silk nightdress, her hands fidgeting with the lace on the hem.

"Just me." Bruce smiled, taking her hands in his.

Selina looked up at him, not smiling, not saying a word, but he'd never seen more love in her sharply angled features. She pulled her hands away from his and grabbed his tie, yanking him closer and kissing him fiercely. Her other hand slid over his shoulder, her manicured nails digging into his shoulder. She broke it off, her nose pressed to his as she smiled. Bruce breathed faster, surprised at her sudden change in moods. "Don't leave me," she whispered, her hand sliding up his neck and cradling his face.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he breathed.

* * *

"I can do it on my hands too," Dick quipped, walking easily on the snow covered railing. The snow floated off into the cold night, sparkling in the moonlight like the stars above them and then dissipating in the air. Dick's breath blew in little clouds from his lips, hanging for a moment like the halo around the moon. His sweater was wrapped tightly around Harley's arms, smelling like his cologne. "Come on," he stood on the balcony railing and reached a hand down to her. "Do you trust me?"

"You know it." Harley grinned up at him. Dick took her hand and helped her up onto the railing. He smiled, holding her hands. He let her go and walked along the concrete, spinning at the corner and waving his arms dramatically, like he might lose his balance. He laughed.

"Do you dare me to jump?" He looked over the edge, and then looked up at her, grinning.

"If you jump, I'm doing a roundoff," Harley warned.

"I'm only worried if I'm not beside you to catch you. I trust you," he smiled a little, walking back towards her. "If you do anything stupid, or fall, you know I'm diving after you," Dick put his hands in his pockets.

"Well, in that case." Harley stepped toward the edge with a grin. Dick's smile didn't waver, and he watched her with some amusement. She grinned wider, turning around and spreading her arms out. "I wonder if the snow will feel like a pillow," she mused, tilting back. Dick raised his eyebrows.

"I've hit before. You're lucky you won't," he smirked.

"And who's going to stop me?" she taunted.

"I won't stop you. I'll catch you," he grinned.

"Well I'll bloody stop you," Alfred said, opening the balcony door. "The two of you get off of that railing right now."

"Aw Alfred, we're just having a little fun," Dick grinned, jumping down onto the balcony. He took Harley's hands and helped her down, and he smiled at Alfred.

"Dick was out bluffing me, and I don't like it." Harley giggled. "Sorry Alfred."

"Hmm," he sniffed, looking between them. "It's getting late, Miss Harley, Master Dick… you ought to be headed home."

"Yeah, we'll head out. Good night, Alfred," Dick smiled, wrapping his arm over Harley's shoulder.

"Good evening." Alfred nodded, stepping to the side of the door to let them through.

"Night!" Harley waved as they walked past.

* * *

Selina tore Bruce's shirt open, sending buttons flying. She left his tie around his neck and pushed him down on the bed slowly, her hands tracing down his chest to undo his belt as she stretched, cat-like, smiling deviously up at him. She pressed herself against him as she slid back up his chest, biting his neck. Her hand pulled at his tie. Bruce ran his hands up her thigh to her hip, catching the fabric of her nightdress.

"Starting the honeymoon early are we?" He tensed at the feel of her lips on his skin.

"Please," she whispered, smiling against his skin as she worked his shirt over his shoulders. "This is every other Friday night for us. When it's our honeymoon, believe me. _You'll know_." She bit his ear, running her fingers over his muscular arms. Bruce quickly pulled her nightdress over her head, tossing it aside. He caught her lips for a quick kiss.

"I'm looking forward to it." His fingers traced along her sides.

Selina moaned, her back arching her body away from him as she closed her eyes and smiled, her fingernails digging into his shoulders. She leaned down and began kissing the puckered battle scars over his torso. "We really shouldn't be- the night before our wedding," she breathed, smiling as she kissed his abs.

"I thought you didn't want me to leave." His hands stopped at her side, pulling her up so her face was over his. "But if that's what you want." He leaned up and kissed her passionately. She pulled at his hair, bracing her elbows on his shoulders as she kissed him back. Breaking away with a gasp, Selina smiled at him.

"When have _we_ ever done what we should? I thought I corrupted you better than that. Cats do what they please," she purred, sitting up. "They take what they _want_." Selina yanked his belt off and then grabbed his tie, pulling him into a sitting position and tracing the folded belt along his jawline. Bruce grabbed her legs, wrapping them around his waist. He pushed her down into the mattress by the shoulders, one hand trailing down her back as he held himself above her.

"You're doing an awful lot of bragging."

Selina laughed breathlessly. "I'm entitled to it, when I can make Batman scream to the heavens," she said sweetly, tightening her legs around his waist and pulling him against her, flashing him a smile. She clawed at his shoulder blades, her arms wrapped around his back. Bruce smiled, brushing his lips along her jaw.

"That you can," he agreed. "Not that anyone could hear it over you."

She scowled, leaning her head back away from him. Selina suddenly braced an arm against his chest, throwing him to the side on their bed and following him, landing hard on his hips. She smiled and leaned down, feeling over his chest. She kissed him hungrily and then licked his lips, smiling as she worked her way to his ear again. "Either get in, Dark Knight, or get out," she whispered, her voice like velvet as she kissed his cheek gently, and then moved down his torso to work his pants down his hips, smiling almost angelically. "Your choice." Selina said quietly, kissing along the waistband of his boxer briefs.

"I think we know what my choice is going to be," Bruce growled, his hand tangling in her hair.

"Master Wayne," Alfred pounded on the door, "do not make me come in there to separate you two!"

"Sorry Alfred," Selina called, biting the waistband and pulling at it with her teeth, grinning when Bruce moaned. "You're too late!"

"Miss Kyle, it is the night before your wedding! You should not be the one fighting me on this," Alfred insisted through the door.

"Good night, Alfred," she sang, moving back up Bruce's chest and kissing him, biting his tongue. She moaned a little, smiling at him.

"If I have to come in there, I will," Alfred threatened, "and no one will enjoy that experience. You two are not staying together tonight. Now come out here willingly Master Bruce, or I will open this door."

Selina pouted, pressing her hips against him. "You'll come back?" she whispered, her lips brushing his.

"Before you even miss me," Bruce assured her. Selina smiled, allowing him to get up before laying back in the sheets, watching him.

"Don't be late," she smiled, her thin fingers playing with the pillowcase under her head. Bruce groaned, running his hand through his hair.

"You're going to be the death of me." With one final look at her, he pulled his pants back on and went to the door. As soon as he was out in the hall, Selina heard him cry out. "What was that for?"

"You know bloody well. Now get to the guest room and do not even _think_ about trying to come out."

"Alfred you're being-"

"-Don't argue with me. Move." She heard Bruce sigh.

"Alright, alright." He peeked his head back in the room, his face sour. "I'll try and wait for him to fall asleep-"

"-Master Bruce!"

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her. Selina shrugged and smiled.

"Tomorrow you'll have me forever," she blew him a kiss, already wrapped in blankets. "Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight." He smiled. "Oh, and if you need something old and blue for the wedding, check in the top drawer." He pointed at the end table. "See you tomorrow, Miss Kyle." He closed the door, and Selina sat up, reaching over and pulling the drawer open. There was a long velvet box, and she took it out, cradling it in her hands. She cracked the lid open and smiled at the bracelet inside. It was comprised of a dozen oval cut blue diamonds alternated with smaller white diamonds held together in a delicate white gold, leaf setting. Selina smiled lovingly at it and then looked up at the door, wanting to thank him, but he was already gone. She turned the lamp off and closed her eyes, finally feeling her anxiety melt away, replaced by excitement and bliss.


	12. Me and You

_**Silent night.**_

 _ **It was anything but. The manor was buzzing with tension the night before the wedding, but Dick and Harley seemed untouched by the mounting stress brought on by Bruce and Selina's impending nuptials. They headed home hand in hand, happy as could be in the cold wintry night.**_

 _ **They have the night together before everything descends into chaos with the wedding, and what better way to spend it than by the Christmas tree, together? Everything is peaceful, and snow falls softly outside. The wedding begins tomorrow.**_

"I don't care what you say," Harley told Dick as they walked into the house, " _Rocking Around the Christmas Tree_ is the embodiment of Christmas." She hung her coat up as she giggled. "It's a _beautiful_ song." She petted Clark's head as he sniffed at her knees.

"It's tacky," he laughed. "But it's not bad," Dick smiled, kneeling on the carpet to pet the dogs. Wally rolled over and pawed at his hand.

"I refuse to trust your judgement on 'tacky' Christmas songs. You hate _Frosty the Snowman_ ," she shook her head, "that's like hating _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_."

"I love that song! Not Frosty, the other one," he stood, pulling his coat off and taking it to the closet. He kicked his shoes off and returned to the living room to plug in the Christmas tree. The twinkling lights joined the lamp on the end table, warming the room with soft light. "Frosty just didn't make sense to me as a kid." Dick shot her a half grin and dropped down on the couch, yawning.

"There's really no logic to putting a tree in a living room, but you don't question that," she countered, sinking gratefully onto the couch beside him.

"Yes there is, there's logic. You know, Christmas and England… and Jesus and traditions and stuff," he laughed, dropping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. Harley giggled.

"If you say so." She leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing. She turned her face up toward him and froze when she realized their noses were almost touching, their lips inches apart.

Dick watched her, his smile wavering a bit. His pale eyes flicked down to her lips, and then he looked back to her eyes, seeing his reflection in the lenses of her glasses. "I can't believe the wedding is tomorrow," he breathed, and she could almost taste him so close, the warm scent of his cologne filling her nose. Dick didn't move, his eyes locked with hers. Harley's breathing was shallow.

"Me neither," she whispered before smiling. "But just think, after that, it's ours." Her eyes shone behind her glasses. "Our wedding, with me and you," she teased. She put a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "Then it'll be me walking down the aisle to you."

Dick's heart fluttered under her fingertips, and he smiled. "I can't wait. A summer wedding. With Haly there… we should have it outside," he said quietly, still watching her. The room was quiet, the frosted windowpanes closing it off from the outside world as if they could never be interrupted. As if it was only them, and the sound of their quiet breathing.

"Just think, we'll have passed our one year anniversary by then," she chuckled, her lips whispering across his, "however we choose to celebrate that." Her eyes didn't leave his. "Do we go with the day we met- our first date, or that night in the safe house?"

"Definitely when we met," Dick smiled, closing his eyes for a brief moment. His arm around her shoulders tightened a bit, pulling her closer as his other hand traced over her shoulder, moving down to her elbow.

"One of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, is saying yes to this awkward, grinning, slightly worse for the wear Officer who happened to _catch_ me in my office." Harley giggled, burying her nose in his neck. Dick smiled at the memory, her silky hair against his skin making his heart beat double-time. His sweater was soft under Harley's hand.

"Best decision I ever made was walking into that office," he said quietly. "Do you remember what brought me there?" Dick asked, leaning away a bit to look at her, his pale eyes shining.

"Wasn't it some crazy chick?" Harley rolled her eyes, pursing her lips to keep from smiling.

He let out a short laugh. Wally looked up from where he was curled up on the tree skirt. The sparkling lights danced on Dick's face, his sharply angled features catching the shadows as well. "I was investigating Harley Quinn," he smiled. "Because she and I had a discussion, on a train, and she didn't attack me. And I wanted to know _why._ I got more than I bargained for," Dick whispered, still smiling. Harley choked off her laugh into his shirt.

"You were very snarky on that subway," she told him, grinning.

"You weren't exactly the sweetest yourself," he said. "But you _were_ kinder than I was used to you being. It was a bit of a turn-on," Dick's lip caught in his teeth before he smiled at her again. Harley suddenly leaned forward and pulled his bottom lip free with her teeth.

"That's a nasty habit you have there," she murmured. She'd heard the sharp, satisfying gasp of surprise from his lips when she'd leaned forward. He released the air now, a bit shakily, his hand tightening on her arm.

"I _hate_ it when you do that," he breathed, but he smiled despite his protest.

"Maybe I'll go around biting my lip all the time, you can see if you can resist stopping me." She kissed his bottom lip gently. "My apology for all the times I'll do that in the future," she explained with a smile.

Dick closed his eyes and smiled. His breath was already coming faster, and without hesitation he kissed her slowly, savoring her taste and the feel of her soft lips against his. With some difficulty, he broke it off. "I… don't remember what I was going to say," he laughed breathlessly. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"So you stopped kissing me to tell me that?" she challenged.

"I'm sorry!" Dick laughed again, nearly biting his lip, but stopping himself. He licked his lips subtly and watched her. "I did have something to say, but I lost it as I pulled away." With a mischievous grin, Harley straddled his lap. She kissed down his neck, her fingers unbuttoning his shirt and sweater.

"There is no one else here. There's no chance of Alfred, or Bruce, or one your brothers interrupting us." She pressed her lips to his now exposed chest. "So if you're going to stop kissing me," she grabbed his chin, "it better be for something very important." She kissed him fiercely. Dick kissed her back, tensed in surprise, but he quickly relaxed, letting the kiss taper off before he broke away.

"Harles…" he sighed as he dropped his head back against the armrest. "The wedding is tomorrow, and we really should get some sleep. After last night- two nights in a row…" His body betrayed him, his hands almost desperately pulling her closer, one twisting in the fabric of her skirt and the other pulling the ponytail holder out of her hair gently. He sighed with delight as her gold hair tumbled over his face, caressing his cheeks and falling in contrast with his, soft and oil black. Harley pulled his shirt off his shoulders before grabbing his face.

"What did I just say? You mouth has better things to be doing than forming pointless sentences."

Dick raised his eyebrows, looking taken aback before he leaned up and kissed her, his tongue barely passing her lips before he pulled back again. "I'm sorry, I'll try to do better," he whispered, leaning his lips away from her when she tried to kiss him again. He grinned playfully. Harley glared at him before grinding her hips into his, one of her hands trailing down his abs while the other skimmed tauntingly at back of his neck. She didn't try to kiss him again, just watched him with a smile. Dick groaned in surprise, his muscles tensing under her hands. She felt his fingers twist in her skirt, and this time his lips chased hers as he leaned up towards her.

"Look, you're doing better already." She grinned before kissing him, her hand holding his face near hers. Her hair tumbled down over both of their shoulders as she squeezed her legs around his back. Dick let out a moan against her lips, pulling his arms out of the sleeves of his shirt. His hands worked furiously to untie the sash around her dress, his lips locked with hers. He kissed her fervently, his head tilted up a bit to reach her, taller sitting on his lap. Harley chuckled a little into the kiss. She undid the button on his khakis.

"Having some difficulty?" she asked before kissing the side of his neck, her lips tantalizingly light. Dick shook his head and inhaled deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. Goosebumps rose on his skin in the wake of her soft kisses. He closed his eyes and moaned again, and she heard the fabric tear as he kissed her hard, his tongue tied with hers. She sighed into the kiss. "This was one of my favorite dresses," she told him, yanking his head back sharply by his hair and kissing down his throat. Her other hand pulled the waist of his pants away, her thumb tracing across the skin of his pelvis.

"I'll buy you a new one," he assured her, gasping excitedly as he closed his eyes, his hands trailing down her waist to her hips as he pulled the dress back from her body, not needing to see her to know her beauty. He unconsciously bit his lip, feeling her curves and her soft skin under his hands. Harley's lips paused, and then he felt her teeth tugging gently at his lip.

"We're having none of that," she breathed, before nibbling on his lip, "unless I'm doing it." Her hand left his neck to trail down his arm, so she could use both of her hands to try and work his pants off from between them. Dick lifted his waist to allow her to yank his pants down, and his hands moved to her hips, his thumbs hooking in the sheer lace of her underwear. He guided her closer and kissed her slowly, lightly, craning his neck against her strong pulling at his hair. He sighed deeply, his grip tense at her hips. The warmth in the room had heightened between them, his breath whispering fast against her lips.

Harley moaned, her legs clenching tighter around his waist as his fingers dug into her hips, and she braced her hands against the back of the couch. She stopped kissing him for a moment to look at him, catching her breath. His blue eyes were bright, and his muscles were tense. "Still have anything to say?" she panted.

Dick opened his mouth, his eyes still shining as he babbled something in Romani, the language flowing off of his tongue like silk. He grinned, sitting up and biting her lip before kissing her desperately, releasing her hips to pull her dress away from her shoulders. His hands came to rest on her sides, feeling her muscles tense as he gripped her waist, pulling her against his chest. Dick grinned against her lips, one hand pulling at the skin on her back. Harley pushed his shoulders back into the couch.

"You know I'm going to ask you what you said." She smiled, leaning in to brush her lips over his. Dick responded again in the same language, leaning up to bite her lips, smiling as he twirled the strap of her bra around his finger. "You wanna rethink that answer?" she taunted, leaning her face out of his reach. He grinned, ignoring her lips and kissing down her chest, still muttering in Romani. His lips were soft and light on her skin.

Harley moaned, savoring the sensation before pushing his shoulders back up against the couch. "If that's the way you're going to be," she whispered, her words a breath in his ear. She quickly stood up, grinning wickedly at him as she let her dress fall to the floor. "Come find me when you're ready to let me know what you have to say." She winked before slipping out of the room.

Dick stared after her, before breaking into a grin and launching off of the couch after her. He caught up with Harley in the hallway, grabbing her hips and pulling her back against him. "I _said_ -" he smiled, his strong chest solid against her back as he kissed her ear over her shoulder- "If falling is just like flying, then I never want to land. Let me take you with me. Let me fly," he whispered, biting her ear. Harley turned around in his arms, smiling up at him.

"Then come on, pretty boy, let's fly." She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him.


	13. One Thing at a Time

_**It's time.**_

 _ **It's the day of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne's winter wonderland wedding, and nothing has gone wrong yet. At least, nothing out of the ordinary for the family. Anxiety, sleep deprivation and the like run rampant in the household as everyone prepares for the ceremony.**_

 _ **They take comfort in the one thing short of vigilantism that they can relieve stress with- gossip. All it takes is a few loose lips, and suddenly the Waynes know all of each other's dirty little secrets. And the wedding hasn't even officially begun.**_

"I'm not coming out," Selina repeated from behind the bathroom door.

"I'm sure you look beautiful," Barbara tried to assure her, she was leaning on the door.

"Selina," Harley took the pins out of her mouth, "please come out." She returned her focus to the shoulder of Stephanie's bridesmaid dress. Harley had become decently proficient in quick sewing fixes with how many rips Dick's Nightwing uniform came back with.

She smiled at the memory of the one she'd accidentally put in it last night.

"Selina!" Steph cried. "If I could move without Harley stabbing me, I would kick down that door."

"No!" She shouted. "I would be crying if it wouldn't screw my makeup up!" Selina wailed. Cassandra rolled her eyes and knelt next to the door, pulling a lock picking kit out of her clutch. Selina had only required their dresses and shoes to match. Each woman was allowed to pick her own jewelry and hairstyle; and Cass had straightened her silky dark hair. She never wore makeup, and she looked beautiful on every other day, but the touches of eyeshadow and mascara enhanced her natural beauty. She wore no necklace or jewelry of any kind, and she didn't even ruin her modest manicure as the lock popped and Barbara yanked the door open.

Barbara brushed her styled curls out of her face. "You look beautiful," she gaped at Selina who fidgeted with the skirt of her dress. "Seriously, that is perfect."

"Let me see!" Harley let Steph turn around and leaned around her to look as well. "Oh my God, you look amazing!"

"Stop it, you're making me feel fat," Harley joked, but Selina didn't smile.

Barbara crossed her arms. "Now tell me what you're freaking out about." While her make up softened her face, it did nothing to diminish her glare. A tarnished locket hung from her neck on her collarbone, worn from years of polishing.

"Possibly she's realized that she's tying herself to a man," Ivy offered from where she was sitting on Selina's bed. Harley allowed Steph to throw her shoe at her. Ivy swatted it aside before adjusting the waves of her hair.

"Don't be a butt," Steph muttered before everyone returned their attention to Selina.

"What if he doesn't like it?" Selina wailed, fidgeting with the blue diamond bracelet on her wrist. "I want this to be perfect, and he deserves the best, and what if he hates my dress, and-"

"Whoa, slow down," Steph told her. Harley patted her shoulder and nudged her away to let her know she'd finished fixing her lace.

"You're being ridiculous," Barbara scolded her. "You look fantastic, and Bruce is going to be the happiest guy in the world."

"You really think so?" Selina asked, looking down. She looked incredible in the satin mermaid cut backless dress, with long sleeves hugging her slender arms and a plunging v-neck that dropped down to her stomach. It complemented her sweet and sexy personality, with sparkling beading on the cuffs of her wrists and over her shoulders. A beaded belt accentuated her natural waist. A pearl necklace rested on her collarbone, and she wore matching pearl earrings; the beaded clip in her hair held her white birdcage veil over her eyes. Her hands played nervously with her engagement ring on her finger.

"I mean, he'll be as happy as Batman can be, but hey," Stephanie shrugged, smiling.

"We might even see him smile," Harley added.

"Trust me, he'll love it," Barbara assured her.

"Unless it's difficult to take off," Steph giggled. Cass snorted, covering her mouth.

"If he's anything like Dick, he'll just rip it." Harley rolled her eyes. Ivy sat forward on the bed.

"Is that what that dress was doing in the living room?"

"Can't beat me and Tim," Stephanie said coolly, pretending to brush some dust off of her shoulder. "Last night, I think he only blushed _six times_ ," she nodded, before bursting into laughter. Barbara rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Come on, guys," she laughed. "It's Selina's day." She turned her attention back to Selina and pulled her fingernails out of her mouth, taking her hands. "Don't be so nervous! You'll be fine. Just breathe, go through the motions, and tonight, you get to leave for your honeymoon!" Barbara assured, her, smiling.

"Yeah!" Steph cried. "Leave us alone!" She smiled.

"I would smack you upside the head if it wouldn't ruin your hair," Harley told her. She sat down beside Ivy, smoothing her dress over her stomach as Haly kicked.

* * *

"Bruce, you've got to loosen up," Jason grinned. "Dick, don't be a stiff. I've got four, now let's toast Batman's last hour as a single man."

"You're an idiot, Jay," Dick smiled and shook his head. Damian straightened his tie in the mirror, watching them.

"I'm only asking you for one," he begged.

"Oh. We're only taking one?" Tim asked, laughing. Dick smacked the back of his head, and Bruce shook his head.

"Fine. One, Jason," he agreed, picking up a shot glass. The four men raised them and Jason nodded, grinning broadly.

"To the real Batman. He will be missed," he beamed. Dick rolled his eyes as they all drank. He winced at the taste and then put it down.

"Gee, you boys are under age, aren't you?" Clark asked, looking at Jason and Tim. Jason clapped him on the shoulder, smiling as he leaned closer to him.

"Don't give me shit, boy scout," he said after a pause and then laughed. Dick rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky you missed the end of the bachelor party. No one is trusting Jason with liquor again," Tim told Clark.

"Tell that to your girlfriend you finally hooked up with," Jason countered.

"Perhaps you need reminding of the stripper _you_ hooked up with, Todd." Damian adjusted his jacket.

"Perhaps I need to remind _you_ of what happened when you got a lap dance," Jason snapped.

"You have the rings right?" Bruce asked Clark, cutting through the noise. He nodded reassuringly, patting his breast pocket.

"Don't worry," he assured him. Bruce nodded, smoothing his hair back.

"Chill old man," Jason told him. "She said yes when you asked her, she's not going to change her mind now." He lounged across a chair.

"Well you don't know Selina that well then," Bruce sighed.

"I could go sneak over and find out," Jason offered.

"Sure you're not going to see someone?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, your girlfriend," Jason retorted.

"Come on, Jason, you're just mad because literally everyone in this room got lucky last night except for you. Bruce doesn't count because he's getting married." Dick crossed his arms, smirking.

"Damian!" Jason cried. "I thought you were going to wait until you were twelve!" He sighed. "Oh well, looks like he beat Dick's record of when he lost his virginity to Barbara."

"I didn't!" Damian whirled around, glaring at Jason. "We did nothing but talk," he snapped, his cheeks burning. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Jason, I wasn't that young," he said, shaking his head. "Nice diversion, by the way."

"I'm sorry if I don't really want to hear about you guys getting some with the people I have to look at every day. No thanks." He sat up a little. "Although I'm sure swan queen is hilarious."

"Hey," Tim crossed his arms in irritation. "I do… just fine," he stuttered. Dick snorted and laughed, and even Damian laughed at him. "It's none of your business!" he snapped. Dick glanced at him, and then looked down.

"Sorry, Tim. We didn't need to make fun of someone less experienced," he laughed, high-fiving Jason.

"I'm sorry if I don't want as much experience as you." Tim glared. "Doesn't pregnancy kinda ruin it? Doesn't her her belly get in the way?"

"Not really," Dick shrugged, leaning against the wall. "If anything, it brings us closer together."

"I might vomit," Damian muttered, pulling Clark down to his small height to help him pin his boutonniere on.

"How is that a turn on?" Jason demanded. "Aren't you just picturing her pre-" he mimed her stomach. Dick laughed, shrugging again.

"I don't know how, Jay," he blushed a little. "It's… not just a physical attraction," he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling. "I mean, sure, it was a little easier when she wasn't pregnant, but I'd be in deep shit if she caught me thinking about someone else- about her! Before that! not-" he tried to cover, but it was too late.

* * *

"Steph, no," Barbara, pushed her away. Harley giggled at them from where she was spread across Selina's bed next to Ivy.

"Let it drop, Steph," Harley called.

"Oh come on," she whined. "Barbara's relationship is like the only one we're kept in the dark about… besides Jason and Ivy's."

"As if they'll _ever_ talk about that," Cassandra said, leaning on the back of a chair, with her skirt pulled up to her hips. Barbara gave her a scolding look, but Cass just stuck her tongue out, running her fingers through her silky black hair.

"Thus…" Steph leaned close to Barbara again, "me pressuring Barbara. How's Sam?"

"We're fine," she said shortly. "I'll be back in time to miss this conversation, but for now I'm going to go make sure that guests are all arriving fine, and that everything is in place," Barbara nodded, flicking her hair over her shoulder before leaving the room.

Steph groaned. "Ivy are you feeling like sharing?"

"No." Ivy glared at her.

"Fine. Anything from the bride to be?" Steph glanced at Selina. She smiled easily, straightening her veil on her head.

"What do you mean by 'anything'?" she asked. Alfred the cat slunk into the room, and she scratched his head.

"I don't know." Steph flopped across Harley's legs. "Anything interesting in your relationship?"

"Besides the wedding?" She laughed lightly. "Well, I have my secrets. But I think one thing at a time," she giggled, stroking the cat's back. "I'm nervous," she smiled a little, as Barbara came back into the room.

"Don't be," she assured her. "Everything is going smoothly." Lilly giggled as she ran in behind her and jumped onto the bed. She jumped onto Steph.

"Oh look, the flower girl." Harley smiled. Lilly giggled as she played with Steph's dress. Barbara smiled at them all.

"Did I miss all of that gossip?" she asked, playing with the locket on her necklace.

"Unless you wanna share," Harley told her. Lilly fell into her lap and started playing with her hair.

"Sam and I are fine. What about you and Dick, hmm? Let's put you on the spot," she crossed her arms, smiling.

"Nope. You missed out."

"No she didn't," Steph mumbled into the blankets. Harley glared at her head.

"Selina played the wedding card, so I'm playing the pregnancy. One thing at a time."

"You sound evasive." Steph sat up a little. "Everything not wonderful in paradise?" Harley smiled a little.

"Everything is pretty great."

"But?" Steph pressed. "There's always a but. For Selina it's probably something about Batman, Barb probably has to deal with the fact her boyfriend works for her dad, Ivy dated Jay- enough said, and, come on, Tim is so shy, Cass… we won't get into, so spill. There is _no way_ pretty boy can be as perfect as he seems. Its just improbable." She leaned on her elbows, staring up at her.

"Really there's-" Steph cut Harley off with a buzzing noise. "No it's-" Steph cut her off again. "It's- Steph- Fine!" Harley cried. "Stop with the buzzing." Lilly giggled, hiding behind Harley's hair. "There's…" She stopped to think, and started blushing.

"This seems fun." Barbara sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well… we were- uh- when," Harley stuttered.

"Spit it out," Steph whined.

"He said Barbara's name while we were in bed."

Barbara went as white as Selina's dress. Stephanie clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh my God," Barbara covered her face, touching her locket. "Oh my God…" the white in her cheeks was replaced with scarlet and she looked down.

"No he _didn't_ ," Selina gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. Harley hid her head in her hands as she nodded.

"I am… _mostly_ sorry I brought this up," Steph assured her. "So sorry."

"I could give him a slow, painful death," Ivy offered, and Cass shrugged like she agreed.

"No," Harley snapped. "You aren't hurting him."

"What about just a little?" Barbara asked. "I'd have killed him by now. I don't… do I apologize? Do I…" She looked down.

"No." Harley groaned. "We kinda worked it out. I mean," she sighed, "I called him Boy Wonder, and he just doesn't think, and…" She shook her head. Barbara looked down.

"I… I'm sorry Harley. I mean, I'm sorry for… ugh," she shook her head, looking at her. "I'm sorry that we need to get ready," she smiled ruefully. "I mean, it's almost time to go. Selina?" she shook her head, glancing at the bride-to-be. "You ready?"

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Jason sat up, even Damian and Bruce looked at Dick. "Thinking about someone else? Where did that come from?"

"It's nothing! It didn't come from anywhere, guys, come on," Dick laughed in exasperation.

"Hell no, you are not getting out of this. Who were you thinking about?" Jason demanded.

"Zatana," Tim guessed.

"He did say he found Selina hot," Jason guessed.

"Barbara," Damian said simply. Jason's mouth turned into a wide O as Tim gasped.

"Okay, it wasn't that big of a deal," he laughed nervously. "Yeah. She called me 'Boy Wonder' and I accidentally said 'Babs'. We fought for a bit, and we're ok now…" he stuttered.

"You called her Babs?" Jason cried.

"Dude!" Tim looked horrified for him.

"It's not as bad as it sounds!" Dick cried, pulling at his collar and accidentally loosening his tie. "It was a couple of days ago, anyway."

"How does she put up with you?" Tim asked.

"Seriously, how are you not single right now?" Jason agreed.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," he said again, biting his lip. He suddenly smiled, touching his bottom lip. "We're _fine_."

"No really, how?" Jason asked. "I'm sorry, but no one just forgets you calling their ex's name out. No way."

"She kind of… Well…" Dick laughed. "She _did_ forget about it pretty fast. She got pissed as all hell, and stormed into the bathroom, and kind of… she fell in the toilet. You'd be surprised how fast a girl can forget about you wronging her when she needs your help." He looked down.

"She…" Jason burst into laughter. "She fell in the toilet!" He was bent over the armrest he was laughing so hard. Tim was laughing into his hand, and even Bruce was smiling.

"Again," Damian spoke up, "how are you not single?"

"I left the seat up! And she always tells me not to, but… stop laughing! If she finds out I told you, I'll be dead," he snorted a little. "She was so upset. I felt bad, but it was so pathetic," he laughed.

"Oh God," Jason covered his eyes. "I'm just picturing Harley Quinn with the pigtails, stuck in a toilet."

"Dude!" Dick punched him in the arm. "Fiancée, man, knock it off!"

"What?! I'm not thinking anything dirty. She fell in a toilet! How the hell are pigtails such a terrible thing off of that? No go with the Harley Quinn costume or something?"

"She wasn't _wearing_ her Harley Quinn costume," Dick said pointedly.

"Okay, yes, yes, I get it-" Jason cut off and glared at him. "Why the emphasis on 'wearing'?"

"Jay what did I say we were doing before she stormed into the bathroom?" Dick rubbed his temples. Jason paused for a second before bursting into laughter. He couldn't stop. Tim and Damian looked slightly horrified.

"Maybe we should focus more on the wedding?" Clark suggested. Bruce glanced down at his watch, but Jason was still in a fit of hysterics.

"Yeah," he shook his head. "I know. Bruce. You ready?" Dick took a deep breath, straightening his father's collar as he smiled. Bruce looked a little pale.

"This reminds me of the first time I was Batman. I didn't know what was going to happen. I guess it's always like that with Selina." Bruce smiled a little, steeling himself. "I never know what's going to happen, but I'm sure I'll never forget it."


	14. On My Wedding Day

_**Here comes the bride.**_

 _ **Jason and Ivy had been an unlikely pair; she could kill him with a touch and he could infuriate her with a word. No one would ever have guessed that they might actually like each other, or maybe even…**_

 _ **Ivy left Jason, Jason pushed Ivy away; nobody has the story straight, but when the two finally come face to face, they realize that the only thing holding them back had been each other's own stubbornness. And just in time, too, the wedding march is beginning.**_

"Stop fidgeting." Harley smacked Dick's hand away from his tie and retightened it. All of the wedding party minus Bruce were gathered in a sectioned off area of the wedding tent, waiting for Alfred to come back and tell them it was time to go.

"I'm sorry," Dick hissed, tugging at his sleeves. He took a deep breath and smiled at her gently. "You look absolutely incredible," he breathed, adjusting the acrobat necklace at her collarbone.

"You can't say that when the bride is right behind you." She grinned.

"Hey Dick," Steph appeared at his elbow, "did you really say Barbara's name in bed?" She winked at Harley before sauntering back to Tim.

"Stephanie," Harley hissed. Dick looked shocked, before his face went red.

"You- what am I talking about, of _course_ you told them. _I_ told them-" he turned around and Steph smacked him in the face. He cried out and grabbed his cheek, staring at her. "Steph!" he hissed, and Selina shushed him furiously. Steph grinned.

"Sorry, she clearly hadn't done it. I got your back, Sis," she winked, punching Dick in the arm. He winced, rubbing his arm where she'd hit. Barbara wouldn't even look at him, standing quietly beside Clark.

"They… worked it out of me. Sorry." Harley gave him a pitying look. "I'd suggest staying away from Ivy too." Dick glanced nervously at her, tugging at his collar and loosening his tie again. "Stop it." She fixed his tie again and looked up at him. "Barbara," Barbara jumped at her name, "get over here so we can work this out, okay?" She reluctantly walked over. "Now does anyone have anything to say about the situation?"

"I don't have anything to say," she looked down, fidgeting with the locket around her neck. Dick's eyes widened, and she tore it off of her neck, hiding it behind her back.

"I don't either," he muttered, looking away from her. "Harley, I really don't think this is necessary," he smiled, laughing a bit. Barbara nodded in agreement.

"Yes it is." Harley swatted Barbara's arm and grabbed the locket. She raised her eyebrows as she held it up, waiting.

"He-"

"-I-"

They laughed a little as they started talking at once.

"It's stupid," Barbara blushed. "I wear it all the time, and I didn't even think about it- I should have thrown it away a long time ago-"

"-Hey!" Dick cried in offense, but then looked down.

"He gave it to me when he was, like, twelve…" she sighed. "From some stupid fifty-cent machine. I've worn it ever since, and I didn't even think about it, it was just a stupid thing- I thought it looked good with the dress!"

"Then why are you two acting so awkward about this?" Harley looked between them, giving Barbara the locket back. "I am about ready to sic Steph or Ivy on you guys, seriously. What is going on? I know you two are still close, and I'm trying not to be the jealous girlfriend, but it feels an awful lot like this wedding has gotten you two all twisted up." Harley refrained from touching her own necklace, trying to keep her face diplomatic. "Do you two need to work something out?"

"No," they answered in unison. Dick's voice was firm, and Barbara's unwavering. Harley glared at them.

"Okay," she took a deep breath. "You-" she jabbed her finger at Dick, "said her-" she pointed at Barbara, "name while with your fiancée, and you are wearing a necklace he-" she pointed at Dick again, " gave you _years_ ago. You're both in relationships now, so don't keep this up and figure it out." She gave them both a final look before going to stand by Ivy. Barbara looked at Dick.

"I can't believe you," she snapped, walking away to stand by Clark. Dick took a deep breath and took his place beside Harley, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "You know that, right? I didn't mean it." Dick looked down sadly, scuffing his shoes together. She glanced over at him, smiling gently.

"I know. It's just…" Harley sighed. "It does kinda hurt a little when you two do the whole 'past lovers who won't get over it' thing. I'm not saying you don't love me. I guess… I just kinda am the jealous girlfriend."

"And you have every right to be," Dick took her hand gently. "I'm sorry. I'm being an ass, and I know it. It's just hard to explain. There are no feelings of love between us, but there's still the remnants of a connection that we have to break. I'm sorry."

"Well then stop being an ass, and work it out like I told you to." She elbowed him. Dick smiled a little.

"We will. After today, okay? There's kind of a wedding going on," he kissed her cheek. "You _do_ look stunning."

"Figure it out before your own wedding," she warned, rolling her eyes.

"I will." He nodded, looking over his shoulder at Selina. She looked calm, but a bit nervous. Dick smiled and bit his lip. "Are you nervous?"

"Nope," Harley looped her arm through his, "I'm walking with you."

"I'm still willing to cause him physical harm," Ivy offered as Jason took his spot beside her.

"No one asked you, Prickle Bush," he snapped. Ivy spun on him, her mouth a hard line.

"Excuse me, don't you need to go sleep with someone else in this bridal party?" Selina shushed them as Steph hid behind Tim, and Cass sighed.

"Don't you have some other men to be hating on?"

"Happily," Ivy told him, "unfortunately, I like Selina more than I hate you."

"Am I supposed to be relieved?"

"I guess it's because I've never had any real feelings for you." Harley hid her face in Dick's shoulder.

"Burn," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry," Jason fumed, "then why don't you just go back to your jungle. I know how plants always did it for you."

"Yeah and now we know how prostitutes do it for you," Ivy countered.

"Hey," Steph cried, "she was a stripper not a prostitute, _and_ that's an insult to Kori."

"Kori?" Ivy asked, half of the bridal party looked shocked by this news as well. "I thought it was Cass. And wasn't Kori that burnt hoe at ice skating?"

"Hey!" Dick objected.

"She's a friend."

"You have a lot of _friends_." Ivy tossed her hair over her shoulder. Jason crossed his arms, glaring down at her.

"I don't have to answer to you. Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"And you're being very judgemental considering you sure as hell wouldn't be wearing white on _your_ wedding day."

"I would never consider marrying a _pig_ ," Ivy spat.

"You love to insult men, but that doesn't stop you from _loving_ them."

"Men like to be used." She smirked. " _You_ sure didn't mind it."

"That- that is beside the point," Jason stuttered.

"No it isn't. You just thought you were the one doing the using." They had moved close enough that Ivy could jab him in the chest.

"This is getting good," Harley whispered, grabbing Dick's hand. Selina didn't bother to try and quiet them.

"Excuse me?" Jason scoffed. "You're the 'goddess of sexuality' here."

"I'm not the one who slept their way through Gotham," she reminded him.

"Just the Amazon," he retorted. Ivy stared incredulously at him.

"It's a fucking rainforest! Who do you think I was sleeping with? Tribal people?"

"I don't know!" Jason cried in exasperation. "How the hell would I know? You're the one who went!"

"You're the one who told me to leave!"

"Do not turn this around on me," he snapped. He grabbed her wrist to pull her hand away from his chest. "It was _your_ golden research opportunity, and _you're_ the one who left."

"You're the one who wanted me to go!" Ivy cried.

"Why the hell would you think that?" Jason demanded. "Of course I didn't want you to go."

"What?" Ivy looked taken aback.

"Here we go." Harley rolled her eyes.

Selina groaned. "On my wedding day," she muttered.

"I didn't want you to go," Jason repeated. "You were offered your big plant study thing, and that was what you wanted."

"No it wasn't." Ivy stared up at him. "You told me to go, and I wasn't going to stay here if you didn't want me to." They stared at each other in confusion.

"Morons," Stephanie hissed under her breath.

"Okay everyone," Alfred walked in with Lilly trailing after him, "get ready." He walked back to Selina's side as everyone resituated themselves. "Master Todd, face forward." Jason automatically did as he was told. The processional music started, and Barbara and Clark stepped out.

"Did I ever make a bet with you that they'd be back together before the ceremony?" Harley whispered and Dick's ear. "If I didn't, I _really_ missed out." Jason and Ivy stepped out, still a bit stiff next to each other.

"Damn right you missed out," Dick laughed quietly, looking straight forward. He glanced down at her and flashed her a smile. "Showtime." Harley gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before they walked out after Jason and Ivy.

Clark flashed Bruce a smile behind his glasses, momentarily straightening up to his full height. Bruce saw the man he _really_ knew. His best friend. He smiled back nervously, his hands clasped in front of him. As Clark took his place beside Bruce, and Barbara stood on the opposite side, Bruce took a deep breath, looking back down the long aisle. Everyone was turned around in their seats to watch the incoming bridesmaids and groomsmen, not that it would have mattered if they faced forward. He didn't know most of them anyway.

Jason winked at Bruce as he walked towards him. He and Ivy had at least stopped their fighting for now, and Bruce was relieved. He looked relaxed and tall in his suit with a bemused smile, in contrast to his usual sarcastic smile and surly demeanor. Bruce was proud of his second son. He didn't think that he could ever tell him, however, Jason's pride far outweighed his own, but Bruce could only hope that Jason knew.

After that came Dick and Harley. Bruce smiled lightly at them. He couldn't believe how far he'd come, the strong, independant, good man that he'd turned out to be. And Harley- once an enemy, now his future daughter in law- looked so beautiful beside his eldest son. They both looked genuinely happy, glancing at each other out of the corners of their eyes. They walked next to each other with casual familiarity; Harley had her free hand on her stomach. He couldn't be prouder. Bruce caught his shoulder as Dick walked past.

"I'm proud of you, Dick," he said quietly, before releasing him to stand beside Jason. Those few words had made his heart swell, and Jason elbowed him with a nod.

Bruce watched Tim and Stephanie. Tim had rarely let him down. And Stephanie, after so much strife, had finally joined the family. He was glad to see them back together. He couldn't believe how much the two of them had grown up in past years. Tim nodded reassuringly at Bruce and Steph flashed him an excited smile as they split to stand beside the others.

Finally came Damian and Cassandra, and Bruce was shocked to see him, almost her height, beside her. Damian had grown so much, both physically and emotionally, and Bruce couldn't imagine life without him now. And Cassandra, his only adopted daughter, looked as stunning as ever. Damian nodded at his father as he walked past.

Bruce smiled a little as Lilly skipped down the aisle. There were some chuckles from the crowd as she tossed her flower petals about, sprinkling some by people's chairs. She trotted up to Harley, holding up her basket. Harley pointed at her parents sitting in the first row, and there was some more laughter as she ran over and jumped into her dad's lap.

The music stopped; Wagner's march started up. There was a rustling as everyone stood and turned to face the entrance. The white of the tent flaps was alternated by clear glass that let in the dim light reflected off the snow. The day was downcast, and fat snowflakes had started to fall part way through the ceremony. Everyone was still warm from the hidden heaters beneath the white canvas drapings of the vaulted tent roof.

Selina paused to take a deep breath. She glanced at Alfred and smiled, her hand fluttering nervously at her stomach. "I'm so nervous I think I might be sick," she whispered. "Thank you so much for everything Alfred," she took his arm and he smiled in return, guiding her out. The music seemed to swell when she saw Bruce, standing at the other end of the aisle, seeming so far away. She breathed shallowly through her nose, unable to explain the wash of happiness and calm that came over her. There her family was, just waiting for her to join them. Her hand tightened on Alfred's arm.

Bruce was stunned by the sight of her, his mouth dropped open a little. She always looked perfect, but this was different. As she walked down the aisle, he wanted to run to her and never let her go, or take her somewhere where no one else could look at her. She smiled at him and glanced down, and he wanted to lift her face back up to see her eyes. Alfred stopped in front of him, but Bruce couldn't take his eyes off of her. When Alfred handed her off and went to sit down, Bruce clutched her hand, unwilling to ever let it go. He still didn't stop looking at her standing there beside him until the priest started talking.

"We are gathered here today," the priest grandly called. Bruce reluctantly tore his eyes away and gave his attention to the priest. He glanced at her every now and again. Selina squeezed his hand, and he took a deep breath.

"I love you," Bruce whispered. Selina tried to discreetly nudge him as the priest kept talking, but she couldn't help but smile. She tilted her face toward him and mouthed 'I love you' back.


	15. Mr and Mrs Wayne

_**It's official!**_

 _ **The cat and the bat are hitched. The wedding that was all over Gotham's papers, billionaire playboy marries alley cat from the streets- is finally winding down, and the stress has passed, leaving the family who put it on relaxed in its wake.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick are happy as can be, fantasizing about their own wedding, and Barbara and Sam are just beginning their own relationship. Tim and Steph have rekindled their romance, as have Jason and Ivy- and a friendship is on the horizon for Damian. The family is at peace.**_

Harley smiled as the the waiter in white and black took her final plate away. Whatever catering service Bruce and Selina had hired had done a wonderful job. Steph and Cass were people watching to the left of her, and Ivy was too busy trying to sneak discreet looks at Jason. Harley leaned past her, her gaze sliding past Barbara who was having a conversation by reading lips with Sam, Selina and Bruce who were whispering to each other, Clark- who was probably listening to a conversation across the room or something, Jason- who was glancing at Ivy, to Dick.

He'd pushed his plate aside, only half eaten, and he drummed his thin fingers on the table. He did look incredibly handsome in his black tuxedo, the purple tie contrasting sharply with the dark shirt and vest. He'd thrown the jacket over the back of his chair. His hair was combed better than she'd ever seen it, he'd at least tried that morning. His tie was loose around his collar that he'd clearly tugged out earlier. She knew him well enough to know that he'd lose the tie and roll up his sleeves soon enough, and she smiled. He bit his lip, twirling his butter knife in his fingers.

When she finally caught his eye, a grin broke across his calm face. He sat with his chin rested on his fist, flopped over the table. He raised his dark eyebrows, mouthed an 'I love you' to her before biting his lip again as he grinned.

'Don't bite your lip,' she mouthed back, smirking. Dick laughed and shook his head.

'You going to stop me?' His lips formed the words, and then he bit the bottom once again. Harley wrinkled her nose.

"Steph," she hissed. Steph glanced up from the doodle she was making with ketchup on her napkin. "Go bother Selina to find out when we're allowed to get up."

"Selina!" she shouted, and the guests at their tables turned to look, some of them laughing. Selina glanced away from Bruce. "Can we... You know, mingle?" She waved her fingers around the table. Dick still watched Harley, a smile one on his lips.

"What? Yeah sure." There was a nearly simultaneous scraping of chairs. Steph hurried over to Tim; she slapped Clark in the shoulder as she went.

"Nice toast, Boy Scout." She hopped onto Tim's lap, giggling as he blushed. Barbara whispered something to Selina before going to join Sam and her father, and Jason and Ivy fled the table, going opposite directions only to meet up at the back of the ballroom. Dick walked towards Harley, his hands in his pockets, and he leaned against the table.

"Buy you a drink, pretty lady?" He asked, smiling and biting his lip just to spite her.

"I'm pregnant," Harley laughed, "I think you need a better pick up line." She angled her chair to face him. Dick laughed, spinning Steph's chair around and sitting down beside her.

"A dance then, maybe?" He rested his chin on his hand. Snow fell lightly outside the windows.

"You're not sick of dancing with me then?" She rested her elbows on the table, leaning toward him.

"Never," he smiled lovingly, shaking his head vigorously and messing his hair up.

"And you looked so handsome," she sighed, reaching out and running a hand through his hair. Dick sighed.

"Did you really expect it to last very long?" He smiled.

"I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did," Harley admitted. She smiled, leaning in and kissing his nose. "But you're still handsome."

"You're not so bad yourself," he smiled, laughing. "I can't believe Bruce is married." He glanced at his father, a small smile on his face. "They look so happy."

"They deserve it." Harley watched them too for a moment before elbowing him. "And I told you he'd relax when she walked down the aisle."

"I guarantee that it will last maybe two hours."

"If anyone knows how to drag that time out, it's Selina." Harley stretched her arms out in front of her, sighing. Dick took her hands and helped her up, guiding her out to the dance floor. People had finished eating and Dick rolled his sleeves up, helping a waiter carry a tray heavily laden with dirty dishes, teetering off of his shoulder. When Dick returned, he loosened his tie.

"Honestly, I don't know who half these people are. Neither the groom or the bride has any extended family." Dick looked around, pushing his bangs back from his face.

"Well Bruce Wayne is a popular man," Harley reasoned. Dick laughed.

"Yeah you can say that again," he looked around, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Well Bruce Wayne is a popular man," Harley repeated, giggling. Dick elbowed her playfully and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, just because they know him doesn't mean he knows any of them. But Selina seems to be enjoying the company of the wealthy. I'm happy for her, getting the life she always dreamed of." He wrapped his arms around her and sat down in a chair, pulling her onto his lap. "We have to wait for Bruce and Selina's dance... Tell me more about our wedding," he shot her a lopsided smile and nuzzled her cheek.

"Well," Harley laced her fingers behind his neck, "first we're going to have a baby in two weeks or so." She grinned. "After that, we're going to be _incredibly_ stressed. I'm going to be crabby, and not want to plan anything. We're going to be up late, fight, be tired, and _hopefully,_ happy. And between taking care of a third person, a needy person, a person we love, we're going to hate planning for our wedding, _but_ ," she leaned her forehead against his, "our wedding will roll around. It may not go perfect, but it will be our day, just me and you. Blissfully happy, surrounded by loved ones, saying 'I do', and where it is, how we looked, if I'm in white, won't matter. We'll be a family, _forever."_

Dick smiled, closing his eyes as her fingers sifted through his hair at his neck. "I love it when you talk dirty," he laughed, smiling relaxedly. He kissed her lovingly, ignoring the high pitched clinking of Jason's knife against his glass as he again started the room into goading Bruce and Selina to kiss.

"Two weeks," Harley repeated. "Or maybe less. Maybe you'll be getting an unforgettable Christmas present."

Dick smiled against her lips. "I'm so nervous," he laughed.

"That's okay." She pressed her forehead to his again, her blue eyes happy. "It's going to be hard, and it's going to suck. There are going to be some long nights, and lot's of crying and diapers. We're going to get frustrated, and just want her to sleep or be quiet or not need attention for a few seconds. It's going to be terrible, but it's going to be great. I can't wait to see her smile. Or to hear you sing lullabies or tell her stories. Imagine what it's going to be like to hold her in our arms. There's her first words, steps, and we get to watch her grow. She is going to be as naughty as her parents. I bet you cry on her first day of kindergarten, her first prom, when she graduates; _her_ wedding. I'm excited."

"That all sounds incredible, but let's focus on the present. We've got to get her home first," Dick sighed happily.

"Or do you want to focus on the actual present of this wedding? Or is that a no no?" She kissed his nose. Dick smiled and kissed her top lip. He nodded.

"We probably _should_ be a little bit present," he kissed her again, and then stole another. He laughed. "We'll watch the first dance, dance a while, have some cake, and go home."

"So you're just here for the cake and dancing? Why am I not surprised?" She smiled as she kissed him again.

"It's chocolate. Selina demanded it," Dick grinned, looking at the cake.

"Stop eyeing that cake. You're making me jealous." She elbowed him, grinning. Dick laughed and bit his lip.

"Sorry. I think Bruce and Selina are about to dance, we may have to clear the floor." He winked.

"I'm not giving you a chance to sneak off to that cake," Harley told him, not moving.

"I'm not going to touch it," he whined, tugging her off into the tables. "I'm going to have one glass of champagne because it's a special occasion," Dick chased down a waiter with a tray of glasses and took one, thanking him before taking Harley's hand again, "and I'm going to share it with you," he smiled and leaned against an empty table as he took a sip. He kissed her slowly, his tongue tasting of the sweet champagne, a smile still on his face.

"We've made it this far in the pregnancy," Harley laughed, "let's not fall off the wagon now." Dick laughed and put his hands on her hips after putting the glass down.

"You didn't have any. Just a taste," he smiled, kissing her again. Tim walked past and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Keep the PDA to a minimum," he yawned. Dick snorted.

"Don't you have someone else you'd rather spend time with?" he asked. Tim glanced at Steph, smiling a little. Dick elbowed him, and Tim promptly scowled and punched him in the arm.

"I haven't seen Jason around," Tim commented.

"He disappeared with Ivy," Harley scoffed, smiling a little. "Idiots."

"Will everyone please clear the floor for the bride and groom," the DJ requested over the speakers. Tim patted Dick on the shoulder one final time before rejoining Steph; she handed him some champagne she'd snuck off a tray. Dick watched his father proudly. _Look at them. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne._

Bruce led Selina out onto the dance floor, taking her hand and her waist as Beethoven's _Fur Elise_ began to be played by the pianist in the corner. The music echoed in the high ceiling of the ballroom as Bruce guided Selina along. They'd practiced it time and time again, and Selina had been humming the song since they chose it.

Her veil was pinned back from her face, her pale green eyes watching his face from under dark lashes as he concentrated on the steps. Selina's hand was delicate on his shoulder. Not missing a step, she moved closer to him and stroked his cheek for a moment, smoothing out the lines in his chiseled face before she replaced her hand on his shoulder.

"You look stunning," Bruce told her. He smiled gently down at her. Selina blushed and looked down, her smile lighting her face.

"And I want to compliment you too, but I can't think of one good enough," she laughed softly, her hand tracing along his broad shoulder as her thumb stroked along his collar.

"There is no word that could possibly do you justice," he kissed her cheek, his lips brushing along her jaw, "but stunning was the first word I could think of. There was also breathtaking, gorgeous, and perfect."

"You do know how to treat a girl right, Mr. Wayne," she purred, smiling as she closed her eyes. She couldn't help her heart fluttering as he swept her around the dance floor.

"It's not hard when that girl made me the luckiest man in the world." His hand tightened around her waist as he held her closer. Selina smiled, arching her back over his hand as he dipped her, nearly finished with the dance. When he pulled her up again, she kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Bruce," she whispered, closing her eyes and listening to the music.

"I love you, Selina. Mrs. Wayne." His face was next to hers, his voice a breath in her ear. She smiled and kissed his cheek with a soft laugh.

"Forget our honeymoon, you can take me here and now, Mr. Wayne," she said tauntingly, barely over a whisper as the song ended. The guests clapped and there were cheers from Dick and Tim. Selina smiled, tucking a strand of dark hair back before grabbing his hand and guiding him to the cake table. Bruce walked behind her, whispering in her ear.

"I may have to take you up on that offer." He glanced at an elderly couple they passed, lowering his voice even more. "While that dress looks absolutely amazing, and I do mean that, I'm looking forward to how it looks on the floor." He smiled pleasantly at the unfamiliar faces.

"Good," she smiled, whispering through her teeth as people gathered around to watch them cut the cake. "Because I can't _wait_ until you see what I bought for the honeymoon," she kissed his cheek sweetly, and Dick snapped a photo on his cell phone. Bruce grabbed her hand. They two of them slowly cut the cake together.

"How long do we have to stay here for?" he mumbled.

"The question should be phrased 'how long will Alfred keep us here'?" She smiled, feeding him a small piece of cake gently, laughing a bit as she did. When Bruce gave her some she bit his fingers, and he cried out in surprise. She laughed evilly, reaching up to kiss him softly. He smiled, closing his eyes when she broke it off.

"I don't think anyone would notice if we left."

"Our wedding? They wouldn't notice?" She laughed merrily, stroking his cheek as the DJ began to play an upbeat latin pop song. She grabbed his hand. "Come on, I want to go dance," she grinned, pulling him along.

"Selina," he grumbled.

"Bruce," she growled, imitating him. She smiled and laughed. "It's your wedding day. Loosen up and dance with your wife. I promise I'll make sure you have a good time," she breathed, turning around to face him. She pressed herself against him, smiling as she danced, pulling him along and flaunting the motion of her hips.

Dick laughed, watching Bruce dance with Selina. "I take it back. Everything you said was right. Apparently, she can actually make him dance..." Dick burst into laughter again, pulling out his phone and taking a video. "I don't care if Jay is busy he needs to see this..." He cackled deviously, watching Bruce and Selina.

"Be nice." Harley smacked his arm, but it didn't deter his filming. "It's their wedding day. Let him have fun without harassing him."

"It's my job to harass him," he laughed. The music was loud, the bass pounding in the room, and more people had joined them on the dance floor. Dick got Tim's attention and pointed at Bruce, and his brother burst into laughter.

"Nope." Harley struggled with him for the phone. She held it behind her back as he tried to reach around her to get it. "I will not have you starting a wedding war out of this," she warned, staring up at him. "Ours is next."

"Fine Harles," he laughed. Dick grabbed her and spun her around, taking his phone back and dropping it on the table. He kissed her cheek and pushed her out onto the dance floor.

"You just set us up to be made fun of," Hatley whined, glancing back at Tim's smirking face.

"Not at all," Dick grinned. "You know how good a dancer I am," he took her hands, spinning her into his arms as a Pitbull song started playing. "And this is _perfect_ for a tango," he laughed.

"Well I'm _not_ a good dancer, so..." She glanced at the growing mass of people surrounding them.

"Just follow my lead," he whispered near her ear, and all the memories of the first time they danced together in this room came back with the familiar words. The terror of knowing she had to leave him; the pain that those familiar words had caused that night. His arms had felt the same around her, his smile had been just as bright- and then the night came and everything was destroyed. She balled his vest up in her hands, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I love you," she breathed. Dick smiled gently.

"I love you too," he stroked her hair, sensing her discomfort but not understanding it. "Are you okay? Maybe we should get some air," he said quietly, pulling her along with his arm draped over her shoulders. He grabbed his suit jacket as they walked to the french doors and then out onto the balcony. The night was cold, but it was still. Dick draped his jacket over her shoulders and pulled the collar around her cheeks. "You okay?" he asked, stroking her face gently. He smiled. Her eyes scanned the balcony.

"It's..." She glanced down. "Last time we were here I... I had every intention of breaking your heart and never seeing you again, and it-" her eyes started watering, "I love you."

"Oh. Oh, Harley," he frowned, just realizing what she was talking about. "I'm sorry. It's okay," he hugged her tight, stroking her hair. "You know what? You did break my heart that night. But it doesn't _matter._ Because only you could put me back together again, and you did. You put _us_ back together again. And now… well now, everything is okay. I mean… just look at what we've accomplished. We made it, Harley," he whispered, looking out over the grounds. Dick looked down at her again. "You and I."

"I know," she sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That night made us what we are. And unless you have some insane secret again, history won't repeat itself," he smiled reassuringly, holding her face in his hands. "I love you. It's okay."

"I know, I know." She blinked back the tears. "I just remembered how much it hurt is all. Who knew then we'd end up back here, no worries this time."

"No worries," Dick agreed.


	16. Keeping Up Appearances

_**Ain't no party like a Wayne party.**_

 _ **The cat and the bat are finally married, and the family can relax again after the mayhem of the wedding. Everyone is in balance again. Harley and Dick are happily engaged, Tim and Steph are together and happy, Jason and Ivy have slipped away, and Damian made a new friend.**_

 _ **The wedding is winding to a close on the cold wintry night, and Bruce and Selina will be heading off for their honeymoon soon. Dancing and cake and some risque behaviour, and the night is still young.**_

"Steph," Tim sighed, "stop stealing champagne off of the trays. It'll turn into the drunken parties night all over again." He sipped the drink she had snatched for him anyway.

"At least that night you were fun," Steph teased, smirking at him before drinking her own champagne.

"The morning after wasn't as fun," he glanced at her, setting the glass down. Steph shrugged.

"Well you win some, you lose some." She grinned, moving over to sit in his lap. "I would say it was worth it."

"Steph," he blushed, glancing around. Unlike Dick or Bruce, he was generally uncomfortable with being public about their relationship. He smiled a little once she was settled.

"What? You can be as embarrassed as you want, but I know you had fun." She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, giggling. Tim laughed, wiping it off.

"Stop it," he smiled, shaking his hair out. He kissed her cheek, returning the favor drily.

"Stop what?" She grabbed his face and gave him a kiss on his other cheek. Tim laughed again, trying halfheartedly to stop her. He smiled and finally resigned to her kisses, sighing dramatically as he waited for her to be done. "You're no fun," she pouted. "Just look at Bruce." They glanced at the bride and groom who were somehow kissing as they danced. "And... Did Harley and Dick disappear too?" Steph cried, glancing around the ballroom. "First the Red couple, and now them? Not fair." She saw Cass in a corner with a dissatisfied look on her face as a red faced man hung at her elbow, talking loudly in her ear. Damian was by a table, his posture as stiff as his father's usually was. He walked over to a figure only a little shorter than him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Nicky cooly. He turned, his eyes narrowing when he saw Damian.

"Aunt Harley asked me to come," Nicky snapped, his fingers were picking at a loose belt loop on his jeans. "I don't know why. I don't even want to be here," he muttered.

"Then why did you come?" Damian asked.

"I don't know. Why do you care?" Nicky stuck his nose up.

"Because you're interrupting the landscape with your awful clothing." Damian started to walk away, and then turned back to Nicky. "Are you coming or not?" he asked coolly.

"We're inside," Nicky mumbled, "there is no landscape." He shuffled after Damian. He ignored Nicky for a while as he led him through the enormous house, before glancing over his shoulder.

"Do you like dogs?" He asked, pushing the door of his bedroom open. Nicky shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked around him. The large room was rather plain, save for the clutter on the desk and the mess of Xbox One games and controllers on the floor in front of the TV.

Damian walked to the closet, stripping his suit off and pulling on jeans and a t-shirt. He looked at Nicky. "I asked you a simple question. So do you?" he demanded, shoving through the clothes in the closet.

"Yeah, I guess." Nicky looked around at Damian's desk and shelves. "Why do you have so much stuff?"

"I don't have that much. Most of the books aren't mine, they're from Father's library. Otherwise... It's not that much," he said nonchalantly. He pulled out a hoodie, tugged it on, and then dragged a box out of the back. He shoved it towards Nicky and then sat down on the floor to pull his boots on. Nicky stared down at it.

"What is this?" He glanced over at Damian.

"It's clothes. I don't wear them anymore, and you'll need more than that to go outside." Damian watched him as he laced his boots, knowing what he'd say. "Do not mistake my logic for charity," he warned. "What else should I do with them? Donate them somewhere? That's far too much effort for someone like me."

"Someone like you," Nicky snorted. "Yeah." He opened the box and started looking through it. Inside was a wide array of soft cotton graphic tees, sweatshirts, jeans and hoodies. There were some shoes at the bottom.

"You think I'm the spoiled rich type."

"Yeah, I do. And you know how I know?" He pulled out a hoodie, pulling it on over his head. "You assumed giving them to me was equal to giving them to charity, and," he ruffled his hair as he pulled the hood off his head, "you think I need more to wear outside. What do you think I came in?"

"I'm sure you had a jacket. Your clothes are beyond repair. I was trying to be nice, and it's _not_ charity," Damian insisted again. He stood.

"Right, it's logic." He glanced at the door. "Now are we going?"

"You don't want to spend anymore time downstairs dancing with people you don't know right?" Damian smiled. It was more of a smirk, but it was warm. "I have a motorcycle." Nicky tried to hide his impressed look.

"Fine, let's go." He shoved his hands back in his pockets. Damian led him back out into the hall and down into the foyer. He frowned when he saw Jason and Ivy. They walked by him.

"You could have at least tried to behave yourself at father's wedding, Todd," Damian sniffed.

"Hey, we haven't done anything wrong," Jason defended, his hand in Ivy's. "We have been entirely appropriate the whole time. Nothing outside of Bruce and Selina's carefully defined, appropriate wedding behavior. Besides, worry about Dick and Harley; I haven't seen them around." He gave Damian a mock salute before continuing on toward the ballroom. Ivy pulled him to a stop in the hallway, pushing him against a wall.

"You're right," she whispered. "You have been entirely too appropriate. Now," her finger trailed along the collar of his suit jacket, "if you keep it this appropriate, you'll have me worried that you don't like this." She pressed her hips into his, the black lace strap of her dress falling off her shoulder. Jason kept his expression neutral as an older woman walked past toward the bathroom.

"Ivy, we've..." He trailed off, clearing his throat. He hadn't been avoiding it, per se, but he had been hesitant. His hand slid up her waist, the soft purple fabric pulling up under his hand. "I don't know what to think." Jason mumbled.

"To think about what?" Ivy pulled his collar, frowning as she studied his face.

"This. Us. We can't just pick up where we left off after all of that... Can we?" He stuttered a bit at his last words. He never spoke like this, and it felt _off,_ but he felt like something had to be said. Ivy pursed her lips, backing away a little.

"I guess, I don't know," she admitted. "Where were we when we left off? I left because neither of us were sure. What do you want us to be?" Ivy felt like her face was hot, felt what it would be like to have blood rush into her cheeks. Jason blushed.

"Um... Together," he said unsurely, mentally kicking himself for even thinking 'what would Dick say?' He may be a half-wit when it came to anything else, but his older brother did have a way with words. Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Look. I _like_ you," he said quietly. "I might even... I just want us to be together. Here and now."

"Okay, so... us." Ivy couldn't remember the last relationship she'd _actually_ been in. She didn't know what to do. "I think I can handle that. I mean- not that I don't think- that um- that sounds good. _Us_. What now? Are there like rules or something?" She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Well we'll figure that out later. For now... Ok fine, I give up," Jason finally said in exasperation. He leaned forward and closed the gap between them, kissing her. He cupped a hand under her chin, his brow furrowed earnestly. Ivy gasped into the kiss, her hands clutching his jacket lapels.

"This I can work with," she breathed. She smirked, pushing his body back against the wall. "But there better be no new stories of Koris, or Casses, or whoever else," she warned, yanking his tie loose, "because your antitoxin won't protect you from that."

"Your wish is my command," he shrugged casually, smiling. Jason looped an arm around her waist and led her down the hall as Barbara walked out of the restroom. She rolled her eyes, chuckling at the sight of them. She walked back to the ballroom, weaving her way through the wedding crowd to get back to her seat by Sam.

"What did I miss?" she asked as she sat down beside him, picking up his hand and holding it in her lap. She smiled, shaking her red hair over her thin shoulder. The satiny purple fabric draped pleasantly over her athletic frame, and Barbara would be lying if she said that she wasn't trying to draw his attention to it. She felt good, and she felt beautiful, and she wanted to show it off. Barbara elbowed him and then put her head on his shoulder.

"Your father stopped by looking for you, but then he got distracted by someone he knew." He shrugged one shoulder, so he wouldn't jostle her head. "Some politician about the mayor being brainwashed."

"Oh," Barbara smiled, rubbing her eye a bit. She tucked her head under his neck, scooting her chair closer. "Anything else?" She rubbed his leg.

"Uh, Bruce and Selina are still dancing." Sam glanced toward the dancefloor for a moment. "A waiter did walk around offering cake, but that's about it." He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead.

"Oh. I'm still stuffed from that dinner," she smiled and yawned. "Do you want to dance?" Barbara took her head away from his shoulder, watching him. The lights flashing on the dance floor in the darkened room lit her face and reflected in her clear blue eyes.

"You were yawning. Are you tired?" He brushed her hair behind her ear.

"A little. It's been a long, hectic day. A hectic week," she said quietly, leaning into his hand by her head. "But I don't want to ruin it if you're having a good time, I'm fine," she waved a hand dismissively.

"My job has been watching you for the last month," he smiled at her, "I've started to enjoy it."

"Well you know what? I'm bored. So why don't we go back to my place, and you can 'watch me' take this dress off," Barbara put a hand on his chest, kissing his cheek.

"Aren't you the maid of honor?" Sam laughed. "Are you _allowed_ to leave early?"

"Fine, then we won't leave," she shrugged, smiling. "We'll stay and sit here. Your loss."

"Oh I know it is," he tapped a finger to her lips, "so you don't have to be so smug about it." She glanced down at his lips, smiling slightly, and smoothed his collar.

"Well maybe I have to go out as Batgirl tonight," she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Maybe I can't spend any time with you _after_ now. What if now is all we have?" Barbara watched him expectantly.

"Well," he took her hand in his, "the last time Batgirl came to visit was pretty fun." Barbara giggled before blushing crimson, her hair falling in her face as she looked down.

"Batgirl is pretty lucky," she said quietly, smiling up at him.

"I'd say I'm the lucky one," he corrected, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Barbara smiled brightly and gave him a quick kiss before standing up and taking his hand.

"Come on. I don't feel like dancing, but after some champagne I'm sure I will," she winked, pulling him away in search of a waiter. Sam chuckled; he waved to Dick when he saw him. Dick was pulling Harley onto the dancefloor. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You don't want to dance?" Dick half-whined, seeing her irritated expression.

"Being nearly nine months pregnant doesn't exactly encourage dancing," she half shouted over the loud music. Dick's shoulders slumped a bit, but he smiled anyway.

"That's okay," he called, pulling her away again to the other end of the room. The music was at least a bit quieter, and he dropped down into a chair. "It's getting pretty late, I'm sure this will wrap up soon," he concluded. Most of the older guests had left already, but a fair amount still danced and drank and ate cake around the ballroom.

"We can dance a little if you want to," she offered, looking down at him in the chair.

"No, it's fine," he shrugged, pulling her down to sit in front of him. "I don't want to put too much strain on you and the baby. I wasn't really thinking about that. I don't think sometimes," he smiled, rolling his eyes.

"Well I do think," she laughed, "and I may have come up with a compromise. I'll dance with you, but then you have to go get me some of that cake, and there may be a foot massage needed later." Dick seemed to consider this, tapping his fingers on the table. He grinned.

"Cake yes, massage, yes," he laughed. "One dance?"

"One dance." Harley grinned. "You better wait for the perfect song."

"Alright, I'll tell the DJ. But-" Dick beamed at her- "you have to do the swing dance I taught you with me."

"Then you have to carry me out to the car." Harley laughed.

"Done," Dick grinned.

"Fine." She waved. "Go bribe the DJ." He immediately shot out of his chair and practically ran across the room to go request a song. When he came back, he was smiling proudly, and he helped her up.

"He said he'll play it next," Dick grinned, pulling her towards the dance floor.

"Don't look too excited, or you'll make me feel like I've been neglecting you." She refrained from rolling her eyes at his enthusiasm.

Dick tapped his foot to the beat of the song playing, his stance a bit impatient, as he waited. When the song finally faded out and the familiar guitar intro to _I Am Superman_ started playing, he cried out in excitement and took Harley out, a hand on her waist. He'd taught her a few dances last night when they were fooling around in the ballroom, but her favorite had been the swing. She loved the way Dick danced, so free and strong, leading her with his expert footwork. He spun her under his arm and pulled her back to his chest as he sang along with the song. It was a lot of spinning, with fairly simple steps, but the enthusiasm behind the movements made it seem skillful and energetic. Dick laughed, sweeping her around the dance floor.

"Clearly I have been neglecting you. You and your dancing feet." Harley giggled.

"Who doesn't love dancing?" he laughed, leading her along. Her hand tightened in his.

"People who don't know how to dance," she assured him.

"Even they like to dance in secret," he smiled brightly, stopping as the song ended. He panted a little, laughing breathlessly before dropping his hands to his sides.

"Forget yoga," Harley sighed. "Dancing is the way to go." She laughed. Dick beamed back at her.

"That was my one dance. It was worth it," he winked, taking her hand and guiding her off of the dance floor as the next song began. "You take a seat, and I'll go get you some cake, right? I'd better hold up my end of the bargain," he winked.

"I'm not sharing," she warned. "You better get yourself a piece."

"Okay," he laughed, walking off to get some cake. Selina dropped into a chair beside her, beaming.

"Well. You sure know how to dance, don't you?" she said, her breathing coming fast. She looked as awake as ever, despite the late hour.

"What about you? Have you taken a break all evening?" Harley grinned at her.

"Definitely not. In fact, I was on my way for my fourth glass of wine. I have to stay hydrated," she laughed. "I'm going to be up all night. Mostly trying to keep ol' pointy ears out of the damn Batcave, but I'm going to make the most of it," she elbowed Harley, laughing.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem tonight." Harley patted Selina's shoulder. She raised her eyebrows seriously.

"Oh not if I have anything to say about it," she said determinedly. "He's not touching that cowl, except maybe to pack it for the honeymoon," Selina laughed, leaning against the table.

"Good luck sneaking that through airport security." Harley shook her head, laughing.

"We'll just say it's some cosplay junk," she waved a hand. "Please, Bruce Wayne can get us out of anything. Did he tell you? We're even taking his private jet," she giggled, clutching Harley's arm and shaking it a bit. Dick walked towards them with the cake, smiling.

"I'm sure you two will have loads of fun, and I _don't_ need to hear about it." She smiled up at Dick. "Ooo, chocolate." She grabbed the plate from him. Selina laughed and stood.

"Enjoy the cake for me," she called over her shoulder as she walked towards Bruce. "Did you enjoy your break?" she asked him, taking his hand and pulling him towards the dance floor again.

"That was a break?" Bruce chuckled. "I didn't even get to finish my champagne."

"Then let me get that for you," she purred, taking his glass and finishing it off. She put it on the table and stopped, smoothing his shirt under her hands.

"That wasn't what I meant." He smiled, his hands catching hers. She giggled, leaning towards him as she beamed. She'd abandoned her veil and hair clip long ago.

"Then what _did_ you mean?" she squeezed his hands, walking backwards towards the dance floor and pulling him along. She was careful to stay close to him.

"Well for starters, I was hoping to finish my own drink."

"It's too late now, so what's next?" Selina giggled, stopping again and tracing her hands over his shoulders. He'd taken his jacket off and loosened his tie. She sighed deeply, playing with his hair at his neck. "When do I get to rip that shirt off of you?" she laughed, pursing her lips as she looked up at him. He laughed too, his hands on her hips.

"When we're not with company," he assured her.

"But there's so much time between now and then," she breathed, smiling as she unbuttoned his shirt a ways.

"The price you have to pay I guess." He tilted his head down, his blue eyes happy. Selina raised her eyebrows and continued to unbutton his shirt, testing him to see how far he'd let her go. She kissed his jaw, humming along to the song. Bruce grabbed her hands, spinning her around. "That's enough of that, Mrs. Wayne," he whispered over her shoulder, holding her hands at her stomach.

"But I was just getting started," she pouted, before smiling and looking at him over her shoulder. She pushed herself back against his hips, smiling wider and laughing a little.

"You really shouldn't be starting at all." He kissed her neck. "We have appearances to keep up."

"Screw appearances," she muttered, closing her eyes. "You're a playboy billionaire. Getting a little risque with me _would_ be keeping your appearance up," Selina pointed out, reaching behind her and trailing a hand up his leg.

"And what about you?" Bruce asked, his lips still on her skin. "What appearances are you keeping up?"

"I choose who I am," she breathed, tucking her arm behind her back. Her fingers brushed his abs under his shirt and she grinned. "I don't _have_ any to uphold," Selina laughed lightly, unbuckling his belt with one hand.

"Selina," he growled. He regained his hold on her hands, spinning her around to face him. She laughed again, a merry, playful sound, before opening her eyes and looking up at him seductively.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" she purred, brushing his nose with hers as she leaned up to kiss him, stopping just before their lips met.

"You need to stop," he breathed, watching her.

" _No_ , I need _you_ ," she smiled, licking his lips before kissing him hungrily. Bruce released her hands to cup her face. He kissed her back with a groan. After a moment, he broke away.

"What do you say," he asked, "do you want to sneak out of your own wedding?"

"More than anything," she gasped, smiling back at him.

"Okay then." Bruce slid his hand into hers, already weaving his way through the crowd. "I guess we're keeping up appearances."


	17. I Have To

**_Time for the Honeymoon!_**

 _ **The two newlyweds spent the night dancing, and now it's off to the airport for a holiday. Bruce is tense, leaving Dick and Damian in charge, but Selina can quickly remedy that. The night is winding to a close.**_

 _ **For Harley and Dick, it's just beginning. When Dick receives a call from Commissioner Gordon, he knows he has to go; Bruce is halfway to a sandy beach and he's not about to disturb him. Not even if he's going into battle with the Joker.**_

Selina hugged her bridesmaids goodbye, the guests chattering around them as she did. Alfred had found them a while ago in their bedroom, 'getting ready to leave'. He knew the truth, however, and he sat in the driver's seat of the car now, waiting to take them to the airport.

"We'll miss you!" Barbara cried, beaming at Selina. She waved happily as she got into the car to goodbyes and luck called from her new family. Bruce stood off to the side with Damian and Dick, talking quietly and sternly. They were nodding earnestly, and Bruce glanced over his shoulder at the car, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder.

"Be careful. I trust you," he told them both. As he got into the car and closed the door, Selina giggled happily, pouring a glass of champagne. "I think you've had enough," Bruce laughed, watching her sip the drink. She beamed and leaned against him.

"Giving the boys a pep talk, were you?" she asked, tracing a hand over her shoulder, pulling the sleeve of her sweater dress away from her skin.

"They'll be in charge while I'm gone," he nodded. "They needed instruction."

"No they didn't. You worry too much," she purred. "Let's just enjoy our honeymoon, Darling. Dick is perfectly capable. Now lets finish this bottle before we get to the airport, and we'll be off." Alfred pulled the car out and drove down the long road from the manor.

Dick watched the car go, walking back to Harley and taking her hand as he led her to the car. Helping her in, he got into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Did Bruce give you a stern talking to?" She smiled gently, studying his profile in the dim glowing of the dash.

"Just the usual. I don't think he's ever left for as long as he's anticipating being gone. He's nervous of course; so am I," he smiled a little. "I'm in charge. Of Gotham. Tim is heading back to the Titans tonight, and he's not going to trust Jason with anything now, not with Ivy back. It will be me and Damian." He shrugged. "Just like old times," Dick mumbled, starting down the snowy road along the cliffs towards the bridge into Gotham. He glanced at Harley. It was nearly one in the morning, but he looked pretty alert.

"Well there's always Barbara and Cass if you ever get into a tight spot," she reminded him. "I can only guess Steph will head over to hang out with the Titans after a while."

"I wouldn't be surprised," he smiled, the street lights flashing overhead as they drove into Gotham.

"You know," Harley stressed, "the deal was you carry me to the car. You sir, forgot." She giggled. Dick laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll carry you into the house. How's that?" he smiled.

"No, no," Harley held her hands up, "you missed your chance."

"Oh. Sorry," he laughed.

"You better be." Harley smirked.

"You sure you don't want to be carried?" Dick asked, coming to a stop in the garage. He glanced at her, unbuckling and getting out. He walked around the front of the car to help her out of her seat.

"No," Harley kept her face straight, "now it's just a pity carry."

"Okay," he shrugged, scooping her up anyway as he smiled. "You don't have a choice then." Dick laughed, carrying her up the stairs from the garage and into the house. The dogs rushed them, barking and licking Harley's hand. Their tails smacked against the kitchen cabinets as Dick carried her through the room. "Should I take you straight upstairs?" he asked, smiling.

"No!" Harley fake squirmed, giggling. "How dare you pick me up!"

"Oh yes, how dare I," he laughed, carrying her up the stairs. He ignored the hallway light and walked into the bedroom, shutting the dogs out. He dropped her on the bed, smiling down at her.

"I can never forgive you now," she told him in mock seriousness.

"Boy, I'm in deep, aren't I?" He bit his lip, still smiling.

"Yep, now get over here." Harley patted the bed beside her. Dick sat down, yawning a bit. He flopped down so he was laying with his head on her shoulder. "I'm too tired to change out of my nice clothes, how about you?" She rolled her head to look at him, stretching her arms out. Dick laughed quietly.

"Me neither. I can think of a few ways to get them off, though," he bit his lip again, and then kissed her cheek.

"Oh, can you?" Harley reached over and pulled his tie off. Dick closed his eyes, smiling. He nodded.

"I think I can manage, yeah," he agreed, laughing quietly.

"Well you may have to help me." She smiled, starting to unbutton his shirt. Dick laughed.

"I know. Are you going to use the 'I'm tired because I'm growing another person' excuse? Or do you just _really_ like it when I help," he concluded, sitting up a bit and reaching around her to unzip her dress.

"Bit of both." She reached up, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him down to kiss her. Dick moaned in surprise and smiled into her kiss, his hands twisting in the fabric at her back. He inhaled deeply and pulled away.

"I think I can live with that," he breathed, and then laughed as he kissed her again. Harley bit his lip, pulling at it before she kissed down his chin.

"Good," she murmured, her lips leaving a trail down his throat as her hands worked his jacket off.

Dick's head dropped back against the blankets, and he sighed quietly, smiling as his light eyes fluttered closed under dark lashes. "What has gotten into you lately?" he breathed, his hands dropping the lace from her shoulders as he pulled her dress down, feeling his way down her arm, his touch light.

"Well first, you, then a baby," Harley giggled, kissing down his chest as she continued to unbutton his shirt. "And _you_ keep starting it."

"Please, how did I start this?" he laughed breathlessly. She could feel his heartbeat quicken, his chest rising and falling faster with his breathing.

"You were suggesting you knew more clever ways to take clothes off, and you know I'm competitive." She finished unbuttoning his shirt and kissed above his belt. He moaned weakly, smiling and catching her cheek. He pulled her back up his chest and kissed her slowly, savoring the taste of her lips and the feel of the satiny fabric against his chest. His hands pulled her dress away from her skin, and his smile lit his face as he bit her lip, the taste of her sweet lipstick lingering on his tongue. Dick held her closer.

"You like a competition because you always _win_ ," he gasped, breaking away long enough to speak before kissing her again. His hands trailed down her bare back. Harley hummed into the kiss, her fingers sliding into the sleeves of his shirt and pulling them off his shoulders.

"And there would be a second reason," she breathed, kissing his smile. "I like knowing even bloated and puffy, I can still make you want me."

"That's what I've been telling you," he laughed, closing his eyes. Dick groaned in frustration as his cell phone rang in his jacket pocket, draped over the bedpost above his head. "Hold on, Harles, it's probably just Bruce," he said, trying to calm his breathing as he fumbled in the pocket for his phone. He answered it and dropped his head back against the pillows. "Hello?" There was a pause, and he kissed Harley's lips gently, his eyes closed. "Yeah I'm a little busy, but go ahead," he replied. Harley grinned, holding his bottom lip between her teeth as she undid his belt. Dick held back a moan and leaned forward, kissing her as best he could. The phone was hanging half away from his face, and he pinched his eyes closed, smiling. He pulled away from Harley with a gasp. "What? Yes, Sir, I'm listening, I've got it. What else?" Harley grinned as she ran her hands up through his hair, watching him as he talked on the phone. He laughed quietly, shuddering a bit, only half listening to the person on the line. His lips chased hers, and he kissed her slowly, before he stopped and leaned back a bit, his lips hesitating on hers. He pulled away. "Yes, Sir. Yes. I understand." There was another pause. His voice had dropped a bit, and his expression changed. He looked grave. Harley's hands froze in his hair, and she watched him more seriously. Dick pursed his lips, watching her. His eyes were fixed on her face, and he looked straight at her as he nodded. "I'll be there," he said quietly, and then hung up the phone. He stood, leaving Harley behind on the bed.

"Where are you going?" Harley sat up, pulling her dress back over her shoulders.

"That was the Commissioner. There was a nine-one-one call from the circus tonight," he said, opening the door and walking out. Harley followed him to the basement, where he kept his Nightwing supplies, and he pulled his suit on. "The Joker is there."

"Don't go," Harley begged, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Harley I can't just not go," he shook his head, sliding his escrima sticks into their holsters. "Bruce is halfway to God knows where, and Damian and I are the first responders."

" _Please_ don't go," she pleaded with him, walking over and putting a hand on his chest. "Cass, Damian, even Barbara can go, but please don't leave."

"Harley, Bruce put me in charge. They are strictly backup. He expects me to handle things," he turned, stroking her cheek. "It's okay. I'll be fine," he smiled reassuringly.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone worrying again. Not tonight." She shook her head, looking down. _Everything was so… happy._

"I'll be back before you know it," he kissed her head gently, walking back up the basement stairs. The dogs whimpered by the door, and he scratched Wally's head.

"I just…" Harley had followed him back up and was leaning against the doorframe. "I don't think you'll be in control if you see him," she decided as a course of reasoning. He took a deep breath.

"I'll be fine. I've got a handle on things," he bit his lip. "Please don't worry too much, and get some sleep. I'll be there when you wake up," he promised, smiling a little.

"I'm not going to sleep," she warned, crossing her arms.

"Don't be unreasonable," Nightwing sighed. "The baby is due soon, and you need your rest."

"So do you," she countered. "I'll just stay up as long as you do."

"Harley," he sighed, growing exasperated. "I have to go. I'll be fine. You'll be fine. If you need me, you know how to reach me," he shook his head, and then kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." Harley pursed her lips. "And if the offer to reach you is standing, why don't I just be your Batcave responder?"

"We don't need one," he insisted. "And I want you here, the dogs have been in the house all day alone since six in the morning."

"Or do you just not want me on the line when you face the Joker again?"

"That's ridiculous, Harley," Nightwing said in frustration, his hand on the door handle.

"Is it? Then tell me why it's ridiculous?" she demanded. "Because last time I was on the comm with you while you faced him, you turned it off?" She started ticking off on her fingers. "Because every time you face him, you lose control and try to kill him? Is it because you're afraid I'll go back to him again? Or do you want to have another secret conversation with him?"

"Hey, I am trying to handle this as best as I can!" Nightwing defended, releasing the doorknob. "I've figured myself out since then. I have my priorities straight."

"Do you? This is the first night Batman has left the city, don't you think Joker _might_ be using that to his advantage?" she pressed. "The circus is a place you love, and he knows that. You shouldn't just run into it blind."

"I am smarter than 'running in blind,'" he snapped, clearly offended. "And whether or not it's just because Batman is gone doesn't _matter_. If I don't go, he could potentially hurt people. People I know and love," Nightwing looked at her pointedly. "I have to go."

"You don't ' _have_ to go'," Harley insisted. "You _have_ to be Nightwing. The cops in this city aren't completely useless; they did a number on me a time or two, and they have a massive head start on you. Gordon can take care of this. You just want to be the one to handle it; you won't trust anyone else to do it." She sighed. "Sometimes you're just like Bruce."

"You were the Joker's shadow for two years. You _know_ what he is capable of. The police in this city are good, but he will destroy them," he watched her, crossing his arms.

"I _do_ know what he's capable of, and _that_ is why I don't want you to go."

"It's not your decision!" he cried, dropping his hands by his sides. "And I don't have time for this." Nightwing pressed his lips together and gave her one last look before turning to the door again.

"You don't have time for this?" Harley repeated. "You don't have time to work this out with your fiancee?" She put her hands on her hips. "What about when the baby's born? Is it still _just your_ decision to run away and leave me here with her?"

"That is different, Harley! And you _know_ it! Batman isn't here, we could possibly apprehend the Joker tonight, and if that is a possibility, I have to _try_!" He hesitated by the door.

"But you won't try to listen to me," her voice was softer, "or end… whatever it is with Barbara, or try to work this out with me. No, Batman is always more important."

"Maybe it is. This is a lot bigger than you and me," he said, suppressing the urge to shout. Nightwing bit his lip, gripping the door handle tight. "And don't think I missed that Barbara comment, we'll be talking about that later." Harley rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to make you understand- this isn't about Batman, this is about doing what's right. I have the means and the knowledge to do what the police can't, and what kind of a person would I be if I didn't help!? When the baby is born, I… Harley, I have every intention of dropping Nightwing altogether. I'll be done, but we have to finish this."

"So you have every intention of doing what's right- what you _have_ to- right now, but as soon as Haly is born, that won't matter?" She shook her head. "What's the difference?"

"The difference is that Batman isn't _here_ ," he snapped. "When Haly comes, he'll be able to handle everything. If not him, then Damian. The kid has every intention of taking up the cowl, and believe me, I don't want him to. I want to be the one to take the burden _off_ of my brothers, that's who I was supposed to be, but then _you_ happened! How could I do that to you?! Be Nightwing until I was killed or so seriously injured that I'd never be able to fight again- I was content in going out like that, until I had you to worry about. I can't _do_ that anymore!" Harley ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head.

"That's… that's bullshit. Complete bullshit. You're just going to give up who you are at the drop of a hat? We're going to be the perfect little working family- I guess I'll have to be a stay at home mom- and what? Just forget who we were? Everything? Watch bad things in the news and think 'I'm glad Bruce has that covered'?"

"What do you expect me to do!?" he shouted, surprising her. "Every word out of your mouth is contradictory to anything I have to say, I could say _exactly_ what you want me to, and you'd still find a way to argue it!"

"I'm not-" Harley cut off glaring at him. She lowered her voice. "I'm not trying to be contradictory, I'm just trying to show that you aren't thinking this through. I'm not saying give up Nightwing, or the cowl, or whatever it is you want. But Nightwing isn't your whole life. And that is not encouragement to worry excessively about me," she warned. "I'm fine with you being Nightwing, but not _all_ the time. You can't just run off like you used to, every night, no backup, not a care in the world. Because I _do_ care."

"I know," he rubbed his face. "I know you care, Harley, but you don't understand how little room there is for compromise here."

"Of course there is," she snapped. "I thought we'd already agreed not to let the Joker ruin our lives. That's what this is about, isn't it? You _needing_ to stop the Joker?"

"Of course it is!" he shouted again. "That's what this is always going to be about, because as long as he is out there, I will never, _ever_ be able to ignore it! How you sleep at night, I'll never know. Knowing that he's out there? He knows where we live, he knows who we are- Do you want to raise Haly into that?!"

"Well I don't want to raise her in this fear of him!" she shouted back. "What makes you think tonight is going to be any different? He always has a plan, and you're not Batman. You're not the one he wants to catch him. You're just going to come home, and start this panicked cycle all over again."

"You're right! I'm _not_ Batman! I'm nothing like him, even though I wish I was sometimes- and maybe that's what will be different! Maybe I can do what Batman can't! Maybe I can stop him!"

"And what if you can't?" she demanded. "Are you going to come home, not sleep, and lie to me about it? I can't keep doing this over and over."

"I don't know what to tell you. I'm getting incredibly tired of Batman- and _you_ \- constantly tearing me in different directions- one of these days the rope is going to snap, and I'm going to fall right through the net and hit center ring. I don't know what you're expecting me to _do_ , Harley," he said furiously, running his hands through his hair.

"I want you to be happy," Harley cried. "Not _this_. Not this constant state of worry. This doesn't make me feel loved or safe, this makes me feel scared and sad. You're running yourself into the ground, and I _hate_ watching it happen."

"See, you want me to be happy, and you want me to be _me._ I've been like this for as long as I can remember, Harley! I have to act like I know what I'm doing. I _have_ to be happy- for Bruce, for Jason, Tim, Damian, Cassandra, _Alfred_ , and you. Everyone expects me to be happy but the truth is- I am _just_ as fucked up as you all are! But I have to be happy, and I'm not _allowed_ to be broken! This is the real me, Harley, whether you like it or not. I worry and I'm terrified and I hate being that way, so I pretend I'm not. This is what I'm really like, sorry to pop your perfect idea." He wrenched the door open, snowflakes drifting in on the cold breeze.

"I don't-" Harley cut off. "I don't want you to be something you're not, but you can't worry all the time. It's going to break you; it's going to break me." She crossed her arms, hunching from the cold. "I understand that all of us are fucked up; I get it. I don't have any 'perfect ideas' about myself. But stop killing yourself over this. I can't live with that. It hurts too much to see that you'd rather go out and suffer, than be here. If that's what you want to do, then this was a mistake." Nightwing's jaw tightened. He stood up straighter, and then pressed his comm into his ear, leaving it off; he watched her through the lenses of his mask.

"If that's what you really believe about me, than maybe it _was_. Maybe we _were_ a mistake," he said furiously. His words had clearly hurt her, and hers had been a knife in his back, but he didn't care. Not anymore. Without another word, he turned and slammed the door behind him. Harley slammed her fist against the door behind him. She bent her head, already crying. She stood like that for a moment before mechanically locking the door. The dogs ran up, sniffing her heels as she walked up the stairs, pushing the lace back up on her shoulders and wiping her eyes. She made it up to the bedroom and heard the dogs whimper a little as she shut them out; she leaned her back against the door, her shoulders slumping.

"We _were_ a mistake," she repeated quietly to herself, thinking how much it sounded like ' _I loved you'_.


	18. A Show

_**Dick and Harley had a fight.**_

 _ **It wasn't a little one, either, it was a fight in which things were said by both parties that shouldn't have been said, and it shouldn't have been left unresolved. It's a bit rocky, heading out to patrol, but Batman left Dick in charge. What can he do?**_

 _ **When Dick arrives at the circus he doesn't find quite the firefight that he was expecting. Nonetheless, the police called him in to help, and he has a job to do. He just hasn't figured out what his job is yet.**_

"All call, Batfamily, come in," Nightwing spoke clearly into the comm, barely noticing the cold as he sped through Gotham on his motorcycle.

"Robin already reporting," Damian's voice came over the communicator.

"Location," Nightwing said shortly.

"Uptown Gotham."

"Good." He turned a corner, nearly slipping in the snow. "Red Robin. Spoiler. Blackbat. Respond," he said, his voice commanding. Their phones would have gotten alerts when he sent out the emergency call.

"This had better be important," Spoiler muttered into the comms.

"Red Robin, here," Red Robin responded more seriously.

"Blackbat already out." She continued down the street she'd been patrolling.

"Batgirl, Red Hood; Report," Nightwing said sharply, waiting to give any explanation until they had all received the call.

"Sam was called out," Batgirl replied, "I'm here."

"Good. Slim chance of Red Hood showing his face, right?" Nightwing joked, but Batgirl and the others could hear the edge in his voice. Something was off, and it wasn't the job. "Okay, the Joker was reportedly at Haly's Circus as of twenty minutes ago. Our job is to assist in any way we can, whether that be giving medical attention to those who need it, or apprehending the Joker. Priority one is obvious. Civilians first. But catching that bastard would be nice, too. Questions?" he asked, a bit shortly.

"Yeah, who spit in your bean curd?" Spoiler asked.

"Be professional," Red Robin hissed. He knew that when Nightwing sounded like this, it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"I'll be fine," Nightwing assured her, ignoring his brother.

"Okay," Spoiler shrugged it off.

"Twenty minutes ago?" Robin asked. "There's no telling what the situation is like now. Any news from the cops, Batgirl?"

"When Dad paged Sam, he said they were going to wait for backup to go in quietly rather than storming the circus by force. I can only assume we're backup."

"Sounds about right," Nightwing said, stopping his motorcycle outside of the ring of police vehicles a few hundred feet from the half-finished main tent. "And one more thing. Under no circumstances in the foreseeable future of the next few hours is _anyone_ to alert Batman," he said quietly, walking towards a cluster of officers. "Commissioner Gordon," he said, stopping near them.

"Nightwing," Gordon nodded, "I'm glad you got my call. We don't know the situation inside that well, unknown number of men, possible hostages, suspected Joker toxin at play. I thought you could handle this better."

"Of course, Gordon," he nodded, and then turned away and pressed his comm. "Locations. How far out are you guys?"

"A few minutes," Blackbat said shortly.

"Nearly there," Robin told him.

"It's going to take us a bit," Red Robin answered for him and Spoiler.

"Five minutes, tops," Batgirl assured him. Nightwing bit his lip, knowing that he should wait for backup, but also knowing that every second he wasted just added time to the minutes lost when he and Harley were fighting. Who knew how many of his friends had been hurt since then?

"Upon arrival I want Robin, Batgirl, and Blackbat with me. Red Robin and Spoiler, assist law enforcement," he decided, walking towards the tent and disappearing into the shadows that it cast.

"You're not waiting for backup, are you?" Batgirl asked.

"I can't afford to," he said quietly.

"You should wait for one of us," Robin advised.

"Don't be a numbskull," Spoiler added.

"I've already been informed that I am, in fact, doing everything wrong," he hissed. His voice was quiet, but the deadly tone was just as effective as a shout. "People could be hurt or dead, people that I _know_ and _love_ , and I'm not going to stand around and wait for you to get here while he murders more of my own."

"I can see the circus," Blackbat cut in. "Where are you entering, so I can have your back?"

"Northwest corner of the structure," he replied, relieved at her tone. _At least one of them is focused,_ he thought, again swallowing the pain and guilt and anxiety he felt.

"Robin take a different entrance when you arrive," Blackbat instructed. Robin didn't say anything, but they knew he'd heard.

"Keep us updated," Red Robin requested.

"Can do," Nightwing agreed. He sensed Blackbat come up behind him, and he pulled back a break in the tent to allow her in, following close behind. The tent was quiet and dark, an advantage to them, but a serious red flag. Nightwing glanced at Blackbat. Their view of the half-constructed center ring was blocked by several large storage crates housing equipment and supplies.

"Da da, dada dada, da da da da," someone sang an off pitch circus beat.

"Anyone home?" a man called in the dark.

"Are there any little bats hiding that want to play?" someone else called. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"Maybe they're all too scared to show up," another man cried, laughing. The first voice sang louder. Nightwing glanced at Blackbat confusedly, creeping around one storage crate to look out to the center ring.

"Oh ringmaster!" a scrawny man called. There were a half dozen men wandering the center ring. They all had sloppy red smiles painted up their cheeks. "Will you call for attention please?" He prodded the clown Sam in the side with a knife, and Sam cried out in pain.

"Wonderful!" a robust man cried. He was sitting on a crate, his stubby legs swinging. "Again, again!" Blackbat saw Nightwing's eyes narrow furiously. He looked up at the support poles of the tent, ropes dangling from them, and then glanced at her, pointing up. She nodded in understanding. The man who continued to sing the song was lying at center ring, staring up at the top of the tent.

"For my next trick," the scrawny man called out, "I'll make this knife disappear," he warned. Nightwing watched Blackbat vanish into the shadows as she climbed the ropes up into the tent, and then he stepped out into the ring, walking forward slowly.

"I don't think that's a very good idea, guy," he said calmly, watching the man with the knife. All six men focused on him at once, and he could tell something was off. They weren't drunk. Drugged?

"An audience!" the man cried. "And just in time for the show!"

"Nightwing's here!" another man squealed, pushing the man sitting on the box. The man singing smiled and sang louder.

"I don't think there's going to be a show," he stepped closer cautiously. "Are you alright?" Nightwing asked, looking at the clown. Sam nodded. One of the final two men stumbled over toward Nightwing, while the other eyed him like a snake that was about to strike.

"I am alright. Thank you for asking," the stumbling man gushed.

"What happened to you?" Nightwing asked, looking between the six of them. For now, they seemed to be harmless. He kept a wary eye out for the Joker. The stumbling man stopped.

"I don't know," he decided. "One?" He looked at the scrawny man.

"I don't know." One shrugged, scratching his cheek with the knife. The man on the box raised his hand. "Yes Five," he called on the man like a student.

"We were made for a show," Five told him, nodding vigorously. Nightwing looked between them, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

"What kind of show?" he asked, lifting a hand to signal Blackbat to wait on her attack. "Did the Joker… 'make you'?" Suddenly, the man who had been glaring at him tackled him.

"Three!" Five whined. "You're ruining the show!"

Nightwing threw him off over his head and then jackknifed to his feet, brandishing both escrima sticks. He moved around them so that he was facing all six of the men. "Did the Joker make you?!" he reiterated.

"Well duh," One laughed, scratching his chin with the knife. "Shut up Two." He kicked the man lying down, but he just kept singing. The stumbling man stopped in front of Nightwing.

"I'm Four by the way. It's lovely to meet you, we've heard so much about you."

"Make him do a trick!" the one beside Five, Six, called. Nightwing examined them, his guard raised. He still didn't call on Blackbat. By now, the others would have arrived.

"You said you were made for a show. What do you mean by 'a show'?" he asked.

"We're here to entertain!" Five cried.

"I think my next trick will be," One drew out a lighter, "fire." Six booed him.

"That's already been done before. Remember?" Six asked. "He told us that's been done." Three attacked Nightwing again, charging him with a choked growl. Nightwing used his momentum and spun around him, swinging an escrima stick at the back of his head and knocking him out cold. He turned angrily on the others.

"Is the Joker here?" he demanded.

"Three!" Four cried, staring at his limp friend. "You hurt him!"

"We just wanted to give you a show, and you hurt him," Six added. Two started singing faster as the other four advanced angrily at Nightwing. Sam used their distraction to back slowly from the ring.

"He promised us if we gave you a nice show, none of us would be hurt anymore," One told him. Nightwing backed up a bit.

"That's one thing you should have _counted_ on," he said darkly. "The Joker always lies."

"We just want the pain to stop," One told him, before all four charged him at once. Nightwing dove out of the way and pressed his comm.

"Now is a good time for backup," he said, and then trapped One's arm with his escrima sticks, throwing him to the side. "Try to incapacitate, with as little harm done as possible- they're drugged, somehow, their actions may not be their own."

Blackbat swooped down on Four taking him out, as Robin materialized and hit one of Five's pressure points; he dropped. Six was taken down just as easily.

"This was too easy," Robin muttered. No one could argue. The Joker had played them, but why? Two stopped singing. They glanced over at him as he sat up.

"I have a message," he told them seriously.

Nightwing stared at him warily, walking closer. "And what might that be?"

"I have a message for you," he repeated, staring up at Nightwing. "He says: I bet you wish you stayed home." His face broke out into a sickly grin as he began to laugh.

Nightwing stared on in shock and horror.

' _We were made for a show_.'

' _Make him do a trick!'_

' _I bet you wish you stayed home.'_

"Oh God," he breathed, feeling like all of his breath had rushed out at once. He couldn't take it back in. Two continued to laugh maniacally. Nightwing stumbled a bit and then broke into a run towards the exit, bursting through the flap in the tent and sprinting straight towards his motorcycle. He had it running and speeding away before he was even properly seated, his heart pounding in his chest.

 _I left her. Alone. If anything happens- what happens- it will be all my fault._ Nightwing thought, biting down on his lip. The call, the men- they'd all been a distraction. A _show._ The Joker had known that Batman would put him in charge. He'd known that he'd be out tonight, but just to be sure- he'd made the distraction the circus. He was exactly where the Joker wanted him.

And she was right where he wanted her, too.

'" _Please don't go," she pleaded with him.'_

Nightwing pushed the bike faster, tearing through the Gotham streets.

"Nightwing!" Batgirl cried into the comms. "Where are you going?"

"I just _left_ her there!" he practically shouted, fighting to control his panic. "He got what he wanted- me at the circus, and Harley completely unprotected-" There was a moment of silence on the comms.

"We're on our way," Red Robin assured him.

'" _I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone worrying again. Not tonight." She shook her head, looking down.'_

Nightwing leapt off of his motorcycle, barely pausing to turn it off before he was running up the front steps. He pulled at the door handle, locked; Nightwing backed up a few steps and threw his weight against the door, breaking the lock as he stumbled in. Snow tracked from his boots over the carpet as he searched the downstairs rooms.

"Harley!?" he shouted, taking the stairs two at a time. Wally and Clark sat up from where they were laying in front of the bedroom door, and Dick knelt beside them, his gloved hands tracing over the deep scratches clawed into the bottom of the door. Despite the warmth of the house, Dick felt cold to his very core as he stood in the dark. He turned the knob and pushed the door open.

The light from the streetlamps outside fell over the crimson blood stains on the carpet from the open window; the curtains billowing slightly from the frigid air as ghostly little flakes of snow gently fell from the night outside. The snow was piling on the window frame, slowly covering the streaks of blood. The bed was still messy from where they had been, just an hour ago, lying there laughing and holding each other. In the glow of the street lights Dick could see a joker card resting on his pillow, and as he moved closer, something shone on it's surface.

Harley's engagement ring was placed delicately over the face of the smiling jester on the bloodstained card.


	19. I'm Not The One

_**HELLO!**_

 _ **Joker here, to interrupt this BORRRINNNGGG story ha ha ha! God, was that wedding a drag or what? Could it have taken LONNNGGGERRRR to get to the FUN STUFF? Eh!? I mean honestly, who CARES about all of that. What you were REALLY waiting on was ME! Applause, applause, don't worry, dear reader, I'll wait.**_

 _ **This is the part where I come in and destroy EVERYTHING that you've read, everything that these writers have worked for! Now if you'll excuse me… Harley dear! WAKE UP! It's time to die. HehehehahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!**_

 _Pain_.

Everywhere, nauseating agony beyond control. Her head hurt like hell; blood was caked in her hair and around her temple. She felt like her lungs were on fire. Harley slowly opened her eyes, and only then did she realize that her mouth was sealed shut with a hefty layer of duct tape.

She was shocked into full alert, her eyes flying open, her hands jerking against the ropes double-wrapped around her wrists. Panic flared in her chest, and Harley tried to sit up, lifting her head in an attempt to get a better look at the room she was in. The table she was tied to was cold under the open back of her dress; the harsh fluorescent light above her made it impossible to see beyond its sickly clean white halo. A whimper escaped her bound lips, and Harley tugged against the restraints, feeling her baby kick at the movement. _Dick will be here_ , she thought, breathing deeply through her nose to calm her racing heart. _Dick will come._

And then he laughed.

Harley's blood ran cold with the sound, rising from the darkness surrounding her. The Joker grinned hatefully at her panicked cries and increasingly frantic struggling.

"Now Puddin'," his words swam with deadly sarcasm. "You know the more you struggle, the more likely it is you'll hurt Junior."

Harley screamed, and the Joker's laugher joined the muffled sound. He strode gleefully into the light, and Harley closed her eyes. He looked awful, a horrible grin pasted on his face, but in all her years of studying him and working with him, she had never seen him look like this. His eyes were distant, detached, like he was looking straight through her and not really registering anything anymore. His face was twisted and darkened with a smile to rival her worst nightmares about him. Bruises rimmed his lost eyes, purple as the tattered and tearing suit over his shoulders, and his emerald hair was matted with blood. He tugged off his glove and grabbed Harley's face.

"Open your eyes," the Joker purred. Harley whimpered and reluctantly did so. Cocking his head, he smiled wryly at her, taking out a knife. "I should just shoot you," he hissed.

Harley's blue eyes shone with terror. Her heartbeat stuttered.

"But that would be too _easy._ Easy on you. No, I want you to suffer as much as possible. I was curious about you, you know." Joker straightened, releasing her face. He dragged the knife across her arm and pain shot from the cut, blood seeping over her skin. Harley closed her eyes tight. The Joker wiped the blood off of the knife and grabbed her arm. Watching her heal, he laughed gleefully.

"So that's how Harley-dumpty survived her great fall!" he cackled. "That chlorophyll-juiced bitch gave you the Antitoxin. You regenerate quite quickly my dear, this will be _fun_. Let's see what's faster. Your healing or my blade," the Joker laughed as he walked away. "What about _him_? Did she give him the Antitoxin, or just some variation of it? No doubt something helped him recover from our playdate." The Joker rolled a table filled with horrible tools toward her; her teeth clenched together at the sound of it rattling. The Joker smiled down at her. "Did he tell you that I tore into him like paper on Christmas morning? Oh he tried to be tough, just like he'd been trained, but it wasn't long until the pain and the blood loss and the fatigue had him calling for Batman and wailing 'Harley, Harley!'"

Laughing at his own twisted words, the Joker busied himself with his various gruesome tools. Harley cried against the duct tape. _Dick where are you!?_ She mentally screamed the words over and over, pleading with him. This couldn't be happening. He grinned down at her.

"Shhhh. Don't cry." He wiped her tears away from her cheek with the knife, causing her to cry out in pain. He didn't smile this time as the tip of the knife dug into her skin.

"You know, he and I _did_ share a common pain, though." Joker turned away from her, giving a momentary reprieve from the agony. "We'd both lost the same thing. He was the cause of my heartache, so I sought to cut his out." His hand clenched on the hilt of the knife. "But then he interfered. The _Batman._ "

Joker cried out in rage and plunged the knife into her leg. Harley's back arched, and she screamed, sobbing against the tape on her mouth. Her ankles were bound in the same rope, her dress tangled around her knees. He could distinctly hear her muffled cries for Dick, and he twisted the knife in her leg. Harley screamed louder.

"Do you know what it's _like_!?" he demanded, his hand dropping away from the knife, still in her leg. "To lose something you didn't know you _cared_ for?! Something that was always there, always constant, that you didn't have to think twice about having it because you knew that it- that _she_ \- would never go away? It was like electricity, or steady income, or a roof over your head. You don't give a shit about cussing it out or hating it or _needing it_ \- until it's gone. So now-" Joker slammed his hands down on the table she was strapped to- "I'm going to take it back. I know I'll never regain _your_ affection, so of course…" his pale hand, splattered with blood, came to rest on her stomach. "I'll start anew."

Harley could feel the dread settle through her as his words took hold. The world went cold around her. _Not that. Anything but that_. She strained harder against the ropes, but even with the adrenaline, Antitoxin, and fear coursing through her veins, she couldn't get free. She tried to beg, muttering against the tape even though she knew he wouldn't listen, the knife a dull ache in her leg. He yanked it out, and she screamed. Joker took hold of the duct tape on her face and tore it off, ignoring as she cried out. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"What was that you said, Harley-Darling, I didn't quite catch it," he laughed madly, roughly releasing her face.

"Please don't," she sobbed. "Please."

"It's too late for begging and pleading now, my dear," he said quietly, grinning down at her. "Honestly, have you missed me? Playing hero?" Joker busied himself cutting her gown away from her stomach. Harley choked out a sob, yanking her arms against the ropes.

"Not my baby. Please, no," she breathed. "I'll do anything. Please stop."

" _Anything_ , Darling?" he purred, leaning down to look at her. His smile graced his gruesome features once again, and he laughed breathlessly. "If I gave you a gun and pointed you at Dick Grayson, would you pull the trigger to save your child?" Joker asked. Harley turned her head, sucking in a ragged breath as tears continued to stream down her face.

"Don't hurt them," she pleaded. " _Please_. I will go with you," she promised. "If you leave him and the baby alone, I'll be with you. Just like we were before." She looked up at him, her blue eyes pleading.

"That is…" he smiled to himself, straightening up. "Enticing. But not part of the plan," he shook his head, green curls falling in front of his pale forehead.

" _Please_!" she cried. "It will be like it never happened, I promise. Just leave them alone." Harley shook her head, blinking through the tears. "Please," she begged.

"No, that's not the point!" he screamed, slamming a fist down on the metal table, rattling the instruments on its surface. "That's not the point," he repeated. "The point isn't to regain your love, it's to make _him_ suffer. So you see, I _can't_ leave him alone. Not until I've stripped the flesh from his bones." He took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"No," Harley yanked against the ropes, "don't." She clenched her mouth closed, trying to keep from sobbing aloud.

"It's okay to cry," he assured her. Joker ignored her for a while, preparing her for her impromptu surgery- before he stopped. "No one knows who I am," the Joker said quietly. He looked at Harley, and he didn't seem sad or remorseful in any way, just stating a fact. He put down his scalpel, folding his gloved hands on the table. "I used to be an average Joe. Funny, how that name is so… Average. The expression, anyway. I was normal. Quite handsome, but that could be the narcissistic personality disorder that you diagnosed me with. I had a job, a house, a car… a pregnant wife. She looked a lot like you, actually. Maybe that's why I liked you so much." The Joker thoughtfully traced his scalpel along the soft skin at her jawline. Harley turned her face away from the blade.

"I'm sure she would hate what you've become," she spat.

"The wife and I fell on hard times." Joker continued, ignoring her comment. "I was a comedian in a city that had never heard laughter. Gotham is unforgiving, and in order to thrive in it, you have to be unforgiving, too. Just ask the Batman," he let out a wheezing laugh, grinning for a moment. "So I did. In order to bring in a little extra money, I helped rob a place. Then another, and then another- when I wanted out, they threatened my wife and my unborn child," his voice had dropped to a whisper, his eyes seemingly lost in the past.

"Kind of like you're doing now?" She'd heard this story before. She'd pitied him for it.

He looked down at her. The Joker wasn't smiling anymore. His eyes were pained and furious and lost, uncomprehending; still locked on an event that had changed him, somehow. "They told me that… if I didn't do what they wanted, they'd kill them. I _had_ to keep going." He laughed breathlessly. "At our next job, I found out that, despite my compliance, they'd murdered her anyway. Everything that I lived for. Gone." He waved his fingers, mimicking an explosion. "I tried to turn myself in, tried to tell Batman that I needed _help_ -" he closed his eyes. "And that's when I fell. Right into that toxic waste, like some cartoon." Joker laughed loudly. "When I woke up? I saw the bright side. And the bright side was: there is no order." Harley didn't say anything. She knew there was no point to her answering; he wasn't talking to her really.

"Can you imagine? All that happening, in one horrible night?" The Joker leaned down closer to her and pursed his lips, cutting jagged lines in her arm with the scalpel like doodles on a page to distract a troubled mind. Harley whimpered as the pain of the cuts burned white hot, her raw wrists pulling once more at the ropes. "It was the worst punishment I could imagine. So naturally, I thought I'd apply it. Test it, if you will. Was I really _crazy_?!" he chuckled as he spoke. "Or was I _driven_ mad?" Joker looked down at her, his face growing grim. "So his punishment won't be to die. His punishment will be the loss of his wife and child- and the insanity that comes with the _guilt._ The absolute certainty that it was _your fault_ that the only thing you'd give everything for was the only thing you couldn't possibly save, and worse than that- you put in harm's way. It eats away at your soul and your mind-" Joker twisted a hand in her hair, yanking it to the side and forcing her to look at him- "until you're gone. And all that is left is a legally insane facade of who you once were. And then _nobody_ knows who you were. That, my dear, _that_ … is how you truly forget yourself. And he will. The only memory he will have of his past life will be of your lifeless body on this table, too late to save you and too late to stop me," he hissed, a laugh rising from the back of his throat.

He picked up his knife again. He cackled wildly, pulling her dress away from her belly and tracing the scar on her hip, before plunging his knife into it, tearing it open again. Harley wailed in agony, her body arching off the table. She instinctually wanted to wrap her arms around her stomach, to protect her baby from the pain. She felt like her entire body was painfully tense and her stomach a sharp tangle of knots.

"Don't," she sobbed, her voice cracking with pain. "Leave him alone." Harley knew it would kill him, knew the Joker's plan would destroy Dick. She couldn't decide now if she still wanted him to miraculously show up. She desperately wanted him to find her, save Haly, but she couldn't stand the thought of what he would do or what he would think if he came. He would blame himself. _And you started that stupid fight_ , she thought to herself. _What if that's the last thing you say to him?_

"He said it himself," Joker purred, dragging the knife from her hip slowly. "This won't end until he wins, or I do."

"And you won't," Harley gasped through the pain, her teeth clenched. "All you're going to do is send him and Batman after you. Is that what this is about? You think Batman will finally kill you over this?"

"It would accomplish what I've tried for so long to prove, now, wouldn't it?" He grinned horribly. "And either way, one way or another; I win. If he comes, you know he will kill me. And if he doesn't? Then he'll have failed. Either way, Nightwing dies inside. And Batman loses his favorite son."

"No, either way you lose," Harley snapped, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. "You poked and prodded them, maimed and killed, attacked the ones they loved and them countless times, and they always come back; they always survive. This time won't be any different." She glared at him. "I've hurt Dick countless times before, he'll have hardened his heart against this," she lied. "Hell, you didn't even miss me, so no, you're not going to win. You're just going to have more blood on your hands. I won't let you win."

"You never did understand, did you, Darling?" he asked, smiling. She could feel the blood dripping from the wound in her side as it healed. "I know I'm going to hell. The _point_ was to drag him with me," he hissed, tracing her cheekbone with the knife; the blade left a streak of blood across her skin. "They may come back, they may survive; but I'll have corrupted the white gloves that he wears. Your 'Batman family' will no longer be the ideal of good. Of _order._ And I've been watching him. Not like you have, no. I saw him wake up in the night time and time again, gasping. He's _still_ broken, you know that you ruined him, and he's just been put back together like a little porcelain doll. All he needs is something to drop him again. He just needs to fall one more time," Joker cackled madly, putting a hand on her cheek. "And you won't catch him."

"You bastard!" Harley screamed, tears running dirty streaks down her face with her mascara.

 _'"Everyone expects me to be happy but the truth is- I am just as fucked up as you all are! But I have to be happy, and I'm not allowed to be broken! This is the real me, Harley, whether you like it or not. I worry and I'm terrified and I hate being that way, so I pretend I'm not."'_

 _'"She's too much like her father. "You two ruin every chance you're given," Shannon countered.'_

Harley was trembling. "Why couldn't you just leave us alone?!"

He exchanged the knife for the scalpel. "Because," He pressed the scalpel against her belly, and her eyes widened at the touch of the blade, "you belong to _me_."

"You killed me!" She cried. " _Twice_! You left me for dead. You never wanted me. All you ever wanted was to hurt me!"

"Well. People do crazy things when they're in love," he laughed.

"I hate you," Harley hissed, glaring at him. "Let me go," she demanded. Joker laughed again, harder this time, and drove the scalpel into her shoulder. He leaned down on it, looking at her.

"...It was worth a shot, right?" he cackled, grinning as she screamed. Stepping back, he left the scalpel in her shoulder, cocking his head as he watched her skin healing around it. "Now one can't help but think, is this how _he_ felt? When no one came to _his_ aid?" He folded his hands, beaming darkly.

"Please," Harley was sobbing again, "please stop hurting him." She cringed at the strain the scalpel put on her joint. Joker narrowed his eyes, leaning down closer to her.

"So selfless, Doctor. You continually say 'him'. Stop hurting 'him' when the blade is in _your_ shoulder," he mused, twisting the blade. She heard a snap as her collarbone broke under the pressure. Harley screamed, her body convulsing in pain. She felt Haly kick.

"Please stop hurting me," she whimpered, trying to breathe through the pain.

"He's not coming," Joker whispered. He yanked the scalpel out of her freshly healed shoulder, tearing it open again. He laughed as blood spattered over her deep violet dress, torn and already stained.

Harley wailed in agony, throwing her head back as she sobbed. For a second, she wanted to beg him to stop, but she bit her lip. _Better me than Haly_ , she thought to herself. If he was hurting her, he was leaving her baby alone. _Dick where are you?_ she thought again, her nails digging into the palms of her hand. She sucked in a breath as the pain in her shoulder dulled as it healed. The Joker watched her, and then shook his head.

"Will you be _completely_ honest with me?" he asked, not bothering to wipe her blood off of the scalpel before pressing it into the skin at her stomach.

"No!" Harley screamed, trying to pull away from him in a panic. He paused.

"Do you _really_ think he's coming for you?" Harley closed her eyes, unable to move any farther. " _Maybe we were a mistake."_

"Yes," she said. _I don't know_ , she thought.

"Hmm. Such misguided faith. Just like him, I suppose. Following Batman like a blind dog." Joker busied himself again, pulling the scalpel slowly along her belly, grinning down at her. Harley howled in distress, her nails drawing blood from her palms.

"Please! Stop!"

Joker again paused. "Beg _him_. Not me. I'm not the one letting this happen." He laughed darkly. Harley whimpered, pulling weakly at the ropes. The Joker was yanked backwards suddenly, outside of the harsh light beating down on her. She blinked in the glare, trying to peer outside it into the dark, but she couldn't see anything. He hadn't made a sound, just dragged back by some unknown force. _Dick?!_

She heard him laugh, wheezing breathlessly; she heard the blows landing, again and again. The Joker continued to howl with laughter, the sound making her blood run cold as it grew weaker. It sounded cruel. The sounds of the struggle outside the circle of light faded with his laughter, and she was left in silence. Her breathing was loud and ragged, and she was trembling slightly. She lifted her head up, looking around. Her head felt like it was spinning; she didn't know how much blood she'd lost. The pain of the Joker's knife at her stomach was still there. She groaned.

"Harley?! God, are you-" Nightwing grabbed her face desperately and made her look at him. She blinked up at him, trying to process if he was really there. Where he'd come from. He was pale and blood was splattered over the crimson streak on his chest. He pulled out a wingding and slashed it skillfully through the ropes, one quick thrust slicing clean through the thick binds. Harley cried out as the pressure released, and he dragged her off of the table, holding her close to his chest as he turned and rushed for the door.

"Dick?" she mumbled. _He came_.

She suddenly screamed in agony.

Harley clutched at his chest, bawling into his shoulder. For a petrifying second, she thought the Joker was cutting her stomach open again. Her blood ran cold when she realized the pain was coming from inside. _Haly._

"Dick," she sobbed, her stomach seizing. "Something's wrong," she choked, before crying out again. He watched her in alarm, breaking into a run with her in his arms.

"It'll be okay, Harley, whatever- It's going to be fine," he assured her, his voice wavering. He burst out into the night, the cold air biting her exposed skin. He didn't know what to do. His panic was overwhelming as he looked around the dark street. Harley whimpered into his chest as the pain receded before gasping as it rolled over her again.

"Dick," she panted. "Haly… please." She held as tight as she could to him, her blood smearing onto his suit.

"Oh God," he breathed. "Okay, Harley. Okay," Nightwing slid to a stop beside his motorcycle and climbed on, still holding her in his arms. He situated her on his lap, pulling her legs around his waist as he tucked her head in to his neck. "Hold on to me," he instructed, the engine already roaring to life as he tore down the street. "Hold on, just please hold on…"


	20. Hold On

_**The Joker.**_

 _ **There is no escape. There never was. All this time playing house, dressing up and keeping up appearances in the dreamworld of a better life, pretending that they could escape the inevitable; he was always there. Always watching. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.**_

 _ **Bruce and Selina were halfway to paradise, and Dick and Harley's fight was icing on the cake. When he took her, he didn't just break the two of them. It was never just the two of them. Familial faces surround them, yet they're alone in this. And there's only two outcomes.**_

Dick watched in dread as the hospital staff rushed around him. As soon as he'd walked in the emergency room doors carrying Harley, it'd been constant motion. He'd taken a second- trying to think through the panic- to pull a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt on over his uniform and remove his mask, but as soon as he'd pulled Harley back up into his arms, they'd been ruined by blood. The emergency room staff had scurried over to them as soon as they walked in the door.

"What happened? Get me a doctor!" a nurse called, taking Harley's pulse as another checked her pupil dilation with a flashlight. "We're going to need her name," she told Dick. "I need to know the extent of that damage! Do we have a file on her?" Harley groaned in pain as Dick laid her on a gurney someone rolled up for them; she clutched his hand. "We'll need a blood transfusion! And an obstetrician." The nurse looked at Dick expectantly.

"Oh," Dick was a bit lost by all the chaos, his heart pounding. "Harleen Quinzel. Dr. Canley was her doctor." The nurse seemed to recoil for a moment at her name, her hand pulling away from Harley's stomach. She blinked.

"Go to Canley's files. I think Dr. Brown has them. And call in Dr. Halloway." Another nurse ran off to do as she was told.

"Nurse Martinez!" someone else called, drawing the nurse's attention as Harley screamed from another contraction.

Everyone were blurs around Harley. She held tighter to Dick's hand, whimpering. _Haly. Please let Haly be okay_. The gurney was being pushed down a hall, and the nurse glanced at Dick when she saw he was still with them. One look at his face, and she didn't object.

"Beth," Martinez called to another nurse. "Get him a pair of scrubs." Harley cried out as Beth pulled Dick away. He tried to protest, fighting for a moment, but realizing he had to go with her. In his panic, he'd nearly punched the nurse.

Dick bit his lip as Beth led him back through the ICU. _It wasn't supposed to happen like this._ She knocked on an operating room door and said something to the nurse who opened it, but the blood was rushing in Dick's ears too loud for him to hear. The nurse waved him in. The operating room was sterile, with a cluster of people moving around Harley on the operating table wearing scrubs, latex gloves, and masks. One man detached himself; his mouth and nose were covered.

"You must be Dick Grayson. I'm Dr. Holloway." He gestured to Harley's head, and Dick obediently moved and took her hand. Harley's hand clenched around it, pulling it up by her face as she bit her lip and tried not to cry out. The doctor moved back behind the operating theater that had been erected over Harley's chest. She was in a hospital gown, her bloody hair pulled back from her face. "We're unfamiliar with Harley's… special condition," Dr. Holloway warned. "But Dr. Canley did leave notes, and we need to perform an emergency C-section, or she and the baby could be seriously injured."

"Please help my baby," Harley sobbed.

"According to your file, anesthetic isn't going to work. This is going to hurt," he warned. Harley shook her head. _I don't care,_ she thought. _Haly_.

* * *

Bruce stormed into the hospital waiting room, Selina right behind him. He headed to where his family were gathered around a group of chairs.

"What happened?" he demanded as soon as he was close enough.

"We don't know," Tim replied, jumping up.

"All we know is what we told you on the phone. We called you as soon as Dick ran off," Barbara said quietly, tucking a bag under her chair. They all watched Bruce, waiting on his guidance.

"Has anyone got ahold of any doctors?" he asked.

"They won't tell us anything," Damian muttered.

Bruce looked around the room at all of them, Selina standing gravely at his side. He rubbed his face and then sat down slowly.

"That was foolish," he said quietly. "You should have called me." The Joker. As soon as he left, they chose to take on the Joker. "I should have been called as soon as his name was mentioned."

"Dick told us not to," Damian said quietly.

"One of you should have been smart enough to question his judgement," Bruce snapped. Damian fell silent, looking down again. Jason couldn't meet anyone's eyes. He and Ivy sat quietly, knowing they should have been there to help. Barbara shook her head and looked up.

"Then why the _hell_ did you leave him in charge?!" she demanded. The tension in the room was only matched by the gravity of the situation.

"Because I thought he could handle it. Evidently I overestimated him." Bruce hissed. Selina put a hand on his shoulder.

"No one could have predicted this," she said quietly, and the room fell silent again.

"He's taunted Dick about Harley being alone before," Bruce retorted, "we should have known. We knew he was going to try and hurt them." He took a deep breath. "Where is the Joker now?"

"We don't _know_ ," Barbara said, biting her tongue. She wanted to be angry, but all she could feel was worry. Bruce stood up and started pacing.

"Where did Dick find Harley?" he asked. "Has it been searched?" Barbara dropped her head in her hands.

"Hey Bruce, when we said 'we don't know' it meant we _don't fucking know_ ," Tim snapped suddenly, looking up at him. "Dick disappeared faster than any of us could follow, and we tried to. Some of us went to their house... and... Harley had obviously been taken, and he was here before any of us could react. He moved as fast as he could. None of us know where she was, Dick is the only one who has all the pieces."

"There has to be something," Bruce snapped back. He ran a hand through his hair. "There has to be something we can do."

"Please sit down," Selina whispered, staring at the floor. Bruce sank into a chair.

"There has to be something we can do," he repeated, his voice weak. Selina didn't answer, putting a hand on his shoulder, knowing she could offer no comfort. A nurse pushed open the door from the ICU and scurried over to them.

"Are you the Wayne family?" she asked. Everyone's head snapped up to look at her, and Bruce stood up. "Richard and Harleen are back in surgery with Dr. Holloway. He's performing an emergency C-section. I should warn you, you may want to prepare for the worst."

* * *

Harley cried out, practically crushing Dick's hand in hers. Her other hand was clenched around the table, her knuckles white. Dick didn't know what to do, knowing the pain in his hand was nothing compared to what Harley was going through. He'd practically broken his hand against the Joker's cheek, and with her Antitoxin strength, he knew that his hand may not last the night. He did what he could, pushing her hair away from her sweat soaked forehead. She felt his lips cool against her skin. _Why is she burning up!?_ His hand shook.

"I'm sorry, Harley," his voice trembled. "You're doing incredible. Just hold on." Harley was vaguely aware of him talking and a frenzied beeping that was her heart rate monitor. She just kept trying to breathe; the message from lamaze class repeating in her head, but it felt like a lead weight was on her chest, crushing her. The pain from her stomach was unbearable.

"She's losing too much blood." The words floated over to her. Harley registered this was her fault, that she needed to slow her heartbeat. She realized something else had been said and that she missed it.

"Keep that open." Harley thought that sounded like the doctor. Dr. Holloway. _My healing_ , she thought. " _Let's see what's faster. Your healing or my blade."_ Harley shuddered, her back arching, and she could hear the heart rate monitor spike.

"Dick," she whimpered.

"Shhh, Harley, you need to try to slow your heart rate," he breathed. Glancing at the doctors, he knelt beside her head. She could see him, white as a ghost and a bit fuzzy through her vision. He put the hand that wasn't gripping hers on the side of her head and pressed his lips to her temple. "I'm here. It's okay. Focus on me," he whispered beside her ear. He wasn't sure if he'd ever _truly_ believed or not that there was a God, but his heart prayed desperately now. "Just listen to my voice. We'll be okay. All three of us." Harley rolled her head, and looked at him. She nodded a little before crying out again. Her hand spasmed in his as she started crying again. She felt his hand squeeze back, his lips pressed into her hair just above her ear. He was at a loss, searching for something to say, trying to keep himself calm. Harley could hear his breathing shuddering past his lips beside her ear as he inhaled slowly, and then exhaled. She matched the slow rhythm, and he kissed her head. "We'll be okay," he whispered, and closed his eyes.

* * *

The waiting room was silent. Damian was scrolling through messages on his phone, curled up in a chair beside Stephanie. Her hand was clutched in Tim's with their heads bent together as they spoke quietly, their voices a soft murmur in the quiet. Cassandra's fingers tapped the arm of her chair. Barbara scuffed her shoes on the carpet, staring at the floor. Jason and Ivy sat off to the side, Jason slumped in his chair with Ivy staring off into space thoughtfully beside him. Bruce looked around at all of them numbly, Selina's hand held in his. He looked down at their fingers laced together, the dark metal band around his finger shining new in the light. How many times had they been in this situation? Desperately waiting for news on a loved one- and how many times in recent months had Dick been the one on the other side of that door? He looked around at them. Damian, Tim, Jason, Cass, Steph, even Barbara; they were all just children. He'd been so sure that his guidance would help them. Barbara stood up suddenly.

"Sam," she said in surprise. The officer stood with Commissioner Gordon and Will Collins, in full uniform, looking grave. Two other uniformed policemen followed behind them. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We… got a call that Harleen Quinzel was here. There is still a warrant out for her arrest," Will said quietly, snow still melting on his heavy black jacket.

"You bastard-" Tim stood angrily, and Jason was on his feet as well. Bruce put a hand up to stop them.

"Commissioner…" he trailed off. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry Bruce," Gordon sighed. "We're supposed to put officers on her once she gets out of surgery."

"That's bullshit," Damian snapped. Bruce looked at them.

"No, it's the law," he said calmly, and Tim stared at him in outrage.

"She's our family, Bruce! They can't just do that!"

"It's our job," Will looked down. "I'm sorry kid, we did what we could do."

"She _should_ be arrested," one of the other officers said. "And you all should be charged with harboring a-" he cut off when Sam put a hand on his arm.

"Don't," he advised.

"Isn't there some law against jailing mothers with babies!?" Steph cried.

"She'll be able to stay with the baby for a week maybe," Gordon told them. "Then Dick will hopefully be able to take custody, if not… it's the foster system."

"That's…" Tim looked furious. "That's not fair. That's not _humane_. You can't just…" he shook his head. Damian looked down.

"It will ruin him. You can't," he looked up at Gordon.

"Why now!?" Barbara demanded. "Why do you suddenly care so much now!?"

"I'm sorry." Gordon shook his head. "The acting mayor; he's determined to provide results. Harley Quinn off the streets would be good for votes. I'm sorry."

* * *

"Do you remember what it was like when we first met?" Dick's voice was a whisper against Harley's ear. His eyes were closed. He didn't know if she was listening, or if she could even hear him. He didn't know what to do. He just knew that he had to keep her calm. Keep her breathing. "I wasn't expecting to have you fall on me when I walked into your office. But I _did_ catch you. I've been catching you ever since… you were just so cute that I couldn't resist. I think I fell in love with you on the trapeze that night," he babbled on, holding her hand tight. "You remember that night?" he asked. "Think about that night," Dick practically begged. He could still smell her rosy perfume mixed with the blood and the sickly clean smell of the hospital. Harley nodded a little, her head rolling toward him. Her eyes focused on him, and she squeezed his hand. She gasped a little, the heart rate monitor jumping. Her eyes glazed over, her hand nearly slipping from his.

"Doctor!" a nurse called.

"Get that closed," he called. "We need to stop the blood flow."

"Her- it's the healing- how-"

"Nurse Martinez," Doctor Holloway continued giving instructions, "I need you to hold here." Another nurse came around the partition. He looked into Harley's eyes, checking her pulse. The beeping had slowed.

"I'm going to need you to move back," he told Dick. He stared at Harley in horror.

"What? N-no," he looked at the nurse, shaking his head. "No," he said more forcefully, and cried out as someone pulled him back, his hand tearing away from Harley's. "What's happening!?" he shouted, trying to get back to her.

"Sir, you need to calm down," the nurse holding him insisted. Two nurses were working around Harley's head.

"We need to get her oxygen," one of them ordered. Dick couldn't see her around them as they worked.

"Nurse Martinez," Dr. Holloway said calmly from the other side of the partition, "we need to get this healed properly." Dick yanked his arm away from the nurse.

"Don't tell me to calm down- _do your job_!" he cried, running his hands through his hair. He hated feeling this useless. Dick tried to move to see what they were doing, but he couldn't see over their shoulders. Harley gasped, the monitor spiking before stabilizing again. She coughed, the nurse stepping away from her head.

"Dick!" she cried weakly, trying to find him. He cut back through the cluster of nurses to her, catching her hand.

"I'm here Harley. It's okay," he held tight to her. Her hand held weakly to his.

"We need to make sure this stays stable," Dr. Holloway instructed.

"Haly? What about Haly?" Harley looked around, trembling slightly. Dr. Holloway stepped around the partition toward them, his latex gloves coated in her blood. The nurses on the other side cleaned everything up.

"We need to get you to recovery. You've lost a lot of blood, and we don't know how you'll-"

"-No," Harley shook her head. "My baby. Where is my baby?"

"No," Dick choked. His hand loosened in Harley's. They couldn't hear crying.

The doctor looked down, shaking his head slowly. "The damage is… _was_ …" He sighed. "I'm sorry." Silence fell for a brief moment, the people around them seeming to slow for a second before it moved on. She could see Dick, still frozen as the nurses moved around him. He scarcely breathed.

"No," he repeated. "Why… No…" his voice faded out as he looked down, his light eyes unfocused. She'd seen that look before. She'd seen it at her own funeral, watching him from a distance.

"We need to get her to recovery," the doctor repeated, everything around them moving again as if nothing had happened. As if their hearts hadn't just stopped.

Harley shook her head, bracing her hands against the table. There was an ache, worse than anything else she'd gone through today. "Please," her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. "No." Dick's hand slipped out of hers, and he sank the rest of the way to the floor, staring down at his hands. He wanted to breathe, but the breath had already been released from his lungs.

"Miss Quinzel, you-"

"No!" Harley cried, cutting the doctor off. "She can't," she wailed. She struggled to sit up, ripping the wires connecting her to monitors out. "This can't be- no."

"Miss Quinzel!" Dr. Holloway and a nurse tried to hold her down.

"No!" She screamed again, sobbing. She pushed them away, fighting her way off the table and falling to her knees. "I can't," she gasped, "please, no." Blood was still smeared across her arms, neck, face, and body, everything about her a mess.

"Harley!" Dick shouted angrily, catching her before she could collapse to the side. "Let them help you," he said quietly. His pale eyes were numb. "Just let them help you." His voice dropped to a whisper as he stood, holding her in his arms.

"No," she whispered. "No." She struggled back to her feet, stumbling forward. "I can't stay here… this place… _no_ ," she wailed.

"Harley _stop it_!" Dick shouted, his voice gruff and cutting through the quiet as he caught her arm and pulled her back. Dr. Holloway took her other arm gently as two other nurses stepped forward, and he did his best to force her gently onto the waiting gurney against her struggling. Martinez pulled Dick away from Harley. He didn't fight back this time.

"No!" Harley screamed. "Get me out of here! Please," she begged, still struggling. "Please. Haly." She collapsed back against the gurney, sobbing. Dick watched her over his shoulder as nurse Martinez led him out. She didn't say anything as she guided him through the halls. She didn't have to. When they came into the waiting room, she left him standing in front of his family. Dick stared at the floor, numb with shock and anguish, before he collapsed weakly to his knees.

"Dick!" Bruce grabbed his shoulders. "What happened?" Jason stood up, his hand held in Ivy's; Barbara covered her mouth at the sight of the blood on his scrubs.

"Are they okay?" Tim asked.

"I didn't…" Dick looked pale, his jaw tight. He gasped and looked around, seeming lost. He stared at Bruce, his eyebrows knit in confusion and pain, an expression that Bruce had seen too many times on his son's face. "I was too late. She's gone and I… what did I do wrong?" he asked weakly, his eyes unfocused. Disoriented. "Why couldn't I save my own daughter?"


	21. Please

" _ **All three of us."**_

 _ **How many times had they said it and been assured that it was true? That things like this didn't happen all the time? People lose children, it's not that uncommon. It's heartbreaking, but not entirely unexpected. The means, however, the Joker actually taking her away; it's the worst feeling one could possibly imagine.**_

 _ **There's no merriment now. The day after Bruce and Selina's wedding, just a few weeks until Christmas, but nothing is going to fill the hole left behind. Now "all three of us" is just "the two of us", if they're lucky. If the strain of the loss doesn't make it "we were".**_

There was a painful tension in the waiting room. Dick sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He'd changed into some fresh clothes that Barbara had brought. She was sitting in the seat next to him, glancing worriedly at him every few seconds. Bruce was pacing between the seats as Selina watched him. She'd tried to keep her mascara from running, but there were black streaks down her cheeks. Cass was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed as she stared at the floor. Jason was sitting with his head against the wall and his hands over his mouth as his foot tapped against the floor. Ivy's legs were pulled up on her seat with her arms wrapped around them; her head was resting on her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly. Steph was curled up in Tim's lap while he stared blankly into space. Alfred sat to the side, his head on his hand as he nodded off.

Will and Gordon had made the two uniformed officers leave with them as soon as Dick had come out of the ICU, both of them unable to look at him. Sam had stayed behind and was getting coffee, not that he actually believed anyone would drink it.

Dick didn't move. He couldn't. Something weighed on his chest, pressing the air out of his body. If he breathed any deeper, he felt like he'd drown, the truth rushing into his lungs and suffocating him. For the first time in twenty minutes, Dick moved. He sat up a bit and stood, walking forward before stumbling against a chair. Barbara stood to help him, but he held up a hand, moving away from her. His eyes flashed in shock, and he leaned against a chair.

"Don't touch me," he warned, his voice weak. "Not you."

His eyes were red, but he hadn't been crying. He couldn't cry. Barbara flinched at his words, falling back into her seat.

"Sorry," she breathed.

Dick stared at her for a moment before he wandered towards the front counter and looked at the nurse. It took him a moment to find the words, and his voice was hoarse. "Can I please see her now?" he asked quietly. She sighed.

"I told you before. Wait for Dr. Holloway."

"Please," he begged.

"Sit back down," she told him. "He'll be out."

"When?" Dick pressed, leaning forward a bit.

"Sit. Back down." She pointed her pen at the chairs.

"No," he snapped, eyes flashing dangerously for a moment. Bruce and Jason looked up in surprise. Dick pointed at the nurse. "I want to see my fiancee, _now._ I want to see her daughter before she's gone forever." His voice was eerily calm, a dead look in his pale eyes as he started for the doors that he'd came from earlier.

"Sir!" The nurse stood up. "You can't go in there!" Bruce and Jason grabbed Dick's arms, pulling him back.

"Dick," Jason hissed. "You need to wait."

"No," Dick yanked his arms away from Jason and Bruce, turning on them. Jason recoiled at the deadly and vacant look on his face. Bruce stepped back, and Dick turned to push his way through the doors. He walked blindly down the hall. Dr. Holloway came around a corner and did a double take when he saw Dick pass.

"Mr. Grayson?"

"Where is she," he asked quietly, looking at the doctor. "I want to see Harley," Dick's face was pale, his eyes rimmed in red. He didn't look well.

"Okay, but," the doctor glanced down the hall, "but what are you doing? You can't be back here." He led him back down the hall. "I was just coming to talk to you."

"Good. Now take me to my fiancée."

Dr. Holloway sighed. "That's what I'm trying to do. We took her out of the ICU, and she's in the regular section of the hospital." He gestured back down the hall. Dick watched him for a moment before following him hesitantly. He didn't speak.

"We're still unsure of what to make of her condition because of her healing. Antitoxin isn't it?" Holloway peeked in his file. They walked back out into the waiting room, and everyone stood up.

"How is she?" Selina asked. Dr. Holloway glanced at Dick. He looked down with a nod.

"Well," he flipped the file open, "she's doing better. Still probably a little woozy from the blood loss and subsequent transfusion, and… everything else. All external wounds appear to have healed, and we're pretty sure there's no lasting internal or nerve damage. There is- a _lot_ of scar tissue. The last record we have is from when she was admitted into Arkham, and it has nearly doubled since then. We ran some x-rays, and there were some cracked ribs, fractures on her wrists and ankles, and we think her collarbone was broken. We can't be sure because all of the breaks look old." He closed the file. "We're obviously most concerned with the emotional damage. Because of her healing, we can't be sure of all of the trauma she went through. She's a little more subdued now."

"When can we- when can Dick see her?" Barbara asked, looking at him for a moment. Dick swallowed hard.

 _She doesn't want to see me,_ he thought, sinking into a chair and dropping his head in his hands again. Last time he did this, he didn't move for twenty minutes. He couldn't look at his family. He couldn't face them, or the doctors, or _her_ \- God, what she must think of him now. The last thing he said to her was that their relationship was a mistake before she was taken, tortured- and her daughter. _She'll never forgive me. She should never forgive me. This… this isn't just my fault. This is my negligence. My dereliction. My transgression. This isn't just my mistake, this is my crime. Her daughter is dead._ He closed his eyes, again shocked at how much pain he was really capable of feeling. It was one thing to lose his parents, or the woman he loved- he'd never even seen the baby, but a part of him had died completely. His pain was numbed and suppressed, still catatonic.

"He can go see her now. I suggest that she rest, but I doubt she will, so for a _short_ visit, you could all see her," Dr. Holloway told them before adding, "If she's up for it."

"Go," Dick said quietly. He didn't look up at his family. "She… I can't." he breathed, his cheeks burning.

"Dick," Selina gasped.

"You are not abandoning her in there," Ivy snapped. Dick stood wordlessly and stared at her for a moment, his eyes nearly vacant as he looked down again.

"Lead on, doctor," he said quietly. Holloway nodded, leading them through the halls. He stopped outside a door.

"Wait here." He went into the room, closing the door. After a few moments, he held the door open. Bruce put his hand on Dick's back, leading him in.

Harley was sitting up in a hospital bed; a nurse was beside her looking at a chart. She was in a fresh hospital gown, and she had been cleaned up, her hair still damp. It fell over her shoulder in a tangled knot as she stared down at her hands. She glanced up briefly at them before staring at her hands again. Dick felt his heart constrict when he saw her, and he breathed shallowly. He waited beside the door as everyone else shuffled into the room. He nearly turned around and left. No one knew what to say. Damian looked around and then walked forward, crawling onto the bed. He snuggled into her side as gently as he could, avoiding hurting her. He didn't know how to comfort her.

"Harley…" Selina sank into the chair beside her bed.

"Oh my God!" Steph cried, rushing over to the side of the bed; Harley flinched.

"Sorry," she apologized as Steph froze in her tracks. "I'm sorry, I'm just… I'm sorry." She took a ragged breath, running a hand through her hair. Bruce stepped forward, grabbing her elbow and looking at the scars etched across her arm and around her wrist. Harley yanked her arm back, looking away. The movement pulled the collar of the hospital gown to the side, revealing the jagged scalpel wound on her collarbone. Bruce didn't say anything, his jaw clenching as he stepped back by Selina.

"Are you okay?" Ivy asked.

"I don't know." Harley looked back down at the blanket.

"I didn't mean to," Dick whispered from the doorway. The atmosphere in the room darkened when he spoke, and Damian looked up.

"How-" Harley's voice cracked, "How did you find me?"

"The necklace is a metal alloy that- when a certain frequency is sent out- will send a sort of signal back- When I got it for you, I-" he looked down, his head in his hands.

"You had a tracker on me." Harley leaned her head back. He'd had a tracker on her for weeks. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry," he said again, his face still covered. "I'm so sorry. I was too late. I killed her." Dick choked as he turned away from the door. Bruce tapped Jason and Tim on the shoulders.

"We should go check out where the Joker held her," he whispered. He nodded at Damian who reluctantly crawled off the bed and followed, glancing back at Harley. Ivy went with Jason, and Selina gave Harley one last pitying look before everyone followed. The nurse put Harley's chart back, and Dr. Holloway closed the door behind them.

"No." Harley shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I let him get the jump on me, and… Dr. Canley told me I was too stressed. I should have just listened. I…" Her lower lip trembled. "She can't really be gone. No. We made it to the hospital. She should-" Harley hiccupped a sob, covering her mouth. Dick remained in the opposite corner of the room, his body stiff and still as he leaned against the wall, still covering his face.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated.

 _Scars. They'll be there forever. You'll never forget what you did to her. You'll never ever be able to look at her again. You'll never be forgiven._

He sank into the chair beside the bed, blue eyes wide and hollow and refusing to meet hers. He put his elbows on his knees, breathing slowly as he rested his face in his hands. "I left you- alone- I left you both- _alone_ -" he bit down on his lip.

 _You left her there. You told her that it was a mistake and then left her there. You left her to die._

His voice was thick, heavy with dammed up tears. "So sorry, I'm so sorry-"

 _Stop saying I. You just took her daughter from her, the least you could do is be compassionate. This isn't about you. You don't have a heart. Not anymore._

"...sorry..." Dick choked. There were a thousand things that should have gone differently. He never should have left. She should have been at the Batcave. He never should have picked up the phone.

" _But you won't try to listen to me."_

"I should have listened," he whispered, his whole body still detached from the pain.

" _Or end… whatever it is with Barbara."_

"Only you," Dick breathed, pinching his eyes closed tighter.

" _Or try to work this out with me."_

"I should have stayed." His voice was barely audible.

" _Batman is always more important."_

 _It was meaningless_ , Dick thought as he bit down harder on his lip, tasting blood in his mouth.

" _This was a mistake."_

 _You were right,_ he thought in the silence, his breathing even and shallow. _This was a mistake. My mistake. I left you there. And you paid the price. It's my fault that you're broken. It's my fault that you're traumatized- it's my fault that she's gone. I was too stupid, too blind, too late._

And the Joker.

 _What I did to him._ Dick's demeanor was still somber, tense as a violin string ready to snap. His breathing was calm, but he felt deadened to the situation. Sitting in the chair beside her with one hand supporting his head, Dick draped the other arm across his knees. His dark hair, still matted with her blood, fell in front of his face, hidden in shadow and by his other hand. He couldn't look at her. He didn't know how she could even look at him. _Her daughter's murderer._ Harley wrapped her arms around her chest, her fingers digging into the fabric of her clothes. She watched the top of his head, crying again; she felt like she couldn't stop.

"I should have known," she choked out, her voice thick with tears. "I was his psychologist I should have known he'd… that he'd-" She gave up, closing her eyes. "It was my fault. The turning from him, planning against him, not loving him, it's all my fault she's gone."

 _I shouldn't have pushed him, taunted him_ , she thought, remembering every time she'd stopped him and when he found out about Dick. _I_ knew _he'd retaliate. I knew there'd be consequences_. Harley knew she'd go back and change everything if she'd known the consequence would be Haly. She whimpered, putting her hand back over her mouth. Despite the doctors telling her she'd healed up fine, she felt sick to her stomach. The healing is what bothered her the most. It was like she'd never been pregnant; only scars remained as evidence. They'd assumed something like that would happen, the Antitoxin restoring her to peak condition, they'd just never thought Haly wouldn't be there.

 _If I'd killed him when I had the chance_ …

"Is he… Did you?" Harley took a deep breath. "The Joker?"

"He's alive," Dick said quietly, still rigid as a stone in his seat.

Harley struggled to decide if she was relieved or disappointed. _He's still out there_ , she realized. He could still come for her. _But he didn't win_ , she thought. She looked at Dick. He looked like sitting in there was the most painful thing he'd ever done. _He didn't win_ , she tried to assure herself.

"Dick," she breathed. "Look at me."

He still didn't move.

"Dick, please," she begged, watching him carefully. Her eyes were watery, pleading. A slow breath, scarcely loud enough to hear, escaped his lips as he looked up, his hand sliding over his lips. He blinked slowly. His blue eyes were reddened but dry, and tired. Empty as his heart now was, and dead. There was no light in them, and he didn't look at her, focusing on the heart monitor over her shoulder. He _couldn't_ look at her. Harley sucked in a breath.

" _Is that how it's going to be? Are you going to keep pushing me away; tell me it's for my own safety? You don't want to see me get hurt, so you're going to keep me at a distance?"_

 _So that's how it feels_ , she thought as she remembered the words he'd said as he'd watched her with so much emotion in his eyes when she came back. She didn't know how her heart could break any more.

" _He's still broken, you know that you ruined him, and he's just been put back together like a little porcelain doll. All he needs is something to drop him again. He just needs to fall one more time."_

Harley gasped and shuddered at the memory, pulling her legs up into her chest as she started bawling. _I can't do this_ , she thought. _I can't lose everything like this_. _Please_. She'd lost count how many times she'd begged that word tonight.

"First Haly," Harley choked over the word. "Please, don't… I… I can't do this." She pulled the blankets further up her knees, sobbing into them.

Dick wanted to comfort her, wanted to reach out and hold her. He closed his eyes and looked down again. _If you touch her, she'll break. She's already broken. You did this to her._ He sighed slowly again, and she felt his hand touch hers gently. His fingers were cold, and she looked up at him where he'd stood up beside her bed, looking down at her. His eyes were still expressionless, but at the same time- so sad. He looked like he'd just… given up. Given in to the agony. He looked so hurt that she wanted to look away. Harley took his hand in both of hers, crying into his sleeve.

"What are we going to do?" she gasped, her shoulders shaking. His jaw tightened, and he closed his eyes as he sank down to sit on the bed beside her. His arm moved around her shoulders, and he tucked her head under his chin. It was terrifying, how utterly void of feeling he seemed to be. He stared at the wall over her head, his movements almost lethargic, and his heart beating steadily and calmly under her hand as she clutched his chest. Dick didn't answer as he closed his eyes again. "What are we going to do?" she repeated in a whisper, crying into his shirt. She curled up into his lap, feeling small.

"I don't know," he whispered. _How can you even look at me?!_ "We'll have to…" _Why do you want to touch me?!_ "I don't know," Dick repeated, sounding beaten. _How can you still want to be near me?!_ He held her tighter, pinching his eyes closed as he pressed his lips into her hair. Her hands clenched in his shirt.

"Please don't make me stay here," she begged. It reminded her too much of Haly. He took her hands away from his shirt and stood, watching her.

"I'll go see what I can do," he breathed, stepping back before he turned away and walked out the door.

Harley tried to say something, but he was already gone; she sat bolt upright as soon as the door was closed, leaving her alone. She glanced nervously around the room, breathing heavily. She flung the blankets away from her, scrambling to her feet. She stumbled to the wall, pressing her back against it. Her eyes flicked between the window and the door. _You don't need to panic_ , she tried to tell herself, but she stood stiffly with her back flat against the wall.

It was ten minutes before Dick came back, opening the door and looking at her in shock. "Harley?" he stepped forward, holding a hand out to her. "Come here," he said gently. "It's okay, no one's here. No one's going to hurt you." _Like she's any safer with you,_ his conscience mocked, and she saw him bite his lip and look down, pained. At least he seemed to be showing more emotion, now, but his eyes were still hollow. Harley rushed toward him, ignoring his hand as she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I don't want to be alone. I'm sorry."

Dick took her waist and made her step back a bit, his jaw tight. "We can… I can take you home," he said quietly. "Barbara brought you some clothes," he handed the bag to her, looking down. Harley was frozen in front of him for a moment. After a second, her hands tightened around the bag, and she turned away, hiding her face as she started to cry again. She quickly fled the room to change in the bathroom. Dick flinched away from the door slamming behind her, and the pain bursting in his chest. He sank down to sit on the bed, his head in his hands once again. "I'm sorry," he whispered again.

After a while, Harley came back in with the bag still in her hands. She'd changed into a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a long black coat with the collar turned up to her ears. Her eyes were still red and her face pale as she stared at the floor, glancing up at him every now and again.

"Harley, I…" _It's all my fault. I killed her. Your daughter. She's gone because of me. I'm so sorry. God, I love you so much, I want you to help me, but I don't know how. I want you to hold me. I want to hold you. I want to cry, but I don't think I can. I can't touch you, I'll destroy you too. I just want you to still love me._ Dick stared at her, and then turned towards the door. "Let's go."


	22. I'm Still Here

_**He didn't win...**_

 _ **"He's still broken, you know that you ruined him, and he's just been put back together like a little porcelain doll. All he needs is something to drop him again. He just needs to fall one more time."**_

 _ **"I want you to help me, but I don't know how. I want you to hold me. I want to hold you. I want to cry, but I don't think I can. I can't touch you, I'll destroy you too. I just want you to still love me."**_

There was a soft, almost inaudible _click_ as the door fell shut behind Harley. The house was unnaturally dark, darker than it had ever been. Harley couldn't bring herself to look up. Wally and Clark ran towards Dick, yipping happily and leaping up at his hands hanging limply at his sides. He didn't pet them. He wouldn't kneel for them. Harley looked away from his figure, bathed in shadow, and wiped her eyes. More tears fell in their place. Dick stared at the floor as she moved to hang her coat up.

The little house was suffocating, closing in in the dark and the silence and despair. He couldn't breathe. He didn't want to. Harley slipped her hand in his, and he still didn't move.

"Dick…" she whispered, but her voice cracked. He looked at her. She stared back, touched his cheek gently; Dick looked away. He couldn't face her. His chest still hurt. The tears wouldn't come, dammed up in his throat, making it throb with the unsung sorrow. His hand was limp, surrendered loosely in hers at his side. "I'm going to fix something to eat," she choked, not even trying to hide her crying. Dick watched her step into the kitchen and lean against the counter, her hands and shoulders shaking as she cried harder. Dick wanted to comfort her, wanted more than anything to make the hurt go away, just a little bit, but he didn't know how. He didn't even know where to begin.

Harley shuddered and let out a sob, dropping a pot into the sink and turning on the tap to fill it. She hugged herself around the waist and immediately burst into tears, feeling the emptiness in her stomach and in her heart. He'd done it. He'd finally done it. The Joker had finally hurt her so completely that she felt like she'd never recover.

Harley turned the water off as a tremendous crash sounded somewhere in the house. She cried out, fearing the worst; that the Joker had come back to finish the job like he'd promised. Harley raced up the stairs with her hand on her belly out of habit.

Dick screamed angrily again, throwing the crib across the room. Harley froze in the doorway, stunned at the chaos before her. She flinched at another loud crash.

He swept the baby books off of the bookshelf in a fury, toppling it on the floor, knocking over the rocking chair. The pink baby blanket that Harley had knitted fell with it, and he caught it in his hand, crying out in rage as he raised his arm to throw it down, but stopped. He stared at it for a moment before bursting into violent sobs, holding the soft blanket to his face as he dropped to his knees in the center of the ruined nursery. He felt Harley's hand on his hair. She didn't say anything, she just knelt beside him, crying too. She rested her head on his shoulder, her forehead touching his neck as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Don't touch me," he said through his tears, but he sounded more terrified than angry. _Don't let me go. Don't ever leave me…_ He didn't move away from her, just stared at the blanket in his hands, his body racked with sobs. Harley sniffled, holding tighter to him.

"Please don't push me away," she asked quietly. She squeezed her eyes shut, still trembling slightly.

"I don't want to hurt you," he breathed, leaning his head against hers as he gasped for breath, fighting his grief for a moment before bursting into tears again. "Please, _please_ don't hate me. I couldn't go on living if you hated me," Dick gasped, bawling like a child, so hard that he could scarcely breathe. "I- just was- too late- It's all my fault- and now she's- your baby, she's-" he coughed, pinching his eyes closed. His fists clenched around the soft pink baby blanket, bunching it up in his hands. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry- I'm sorry I yelled at you, and I'm sorry for Barbara, and I'm sorry that I said those- _horrible_ things-" he choked out, still sobbing as he gained momentum, babbling on as he cried. "I said such terrible things, and I'm sorry that I said we were a mistake- I made mistakes last night, but you aren't one of them- And I left. God I left you here alone when I _knew_ that it was stupid and rash and I should stay. I should've stayed. And I didn't save you, and I _hurt_ you so much, and I was too late, and I killed your daughter." Dick finally stopped to take a deep breath, the last words he said sinking in. He looked down at the baby blanket. "I killed your daughter," he breathed, closing his eyes.

"Hey." Harley grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "You did save me." She wiped one of his tears away with her thumb. "Thank you. He was… If you hadn't shown up, I wouldn't be sitting here, talking to you. You _did_ save me. I-" she sniffed, blinking her eyes, "I thought he was going to kill me. I thought the last thing I was going to say to you were all of those terrible things. I thought," she looked down, "you weren't going to come find me because you hated me, and I thought I was never going to see Haly." She looked back up at him, tears streaming down her face. "And I know she's- that… But you did try, Dick. You tried to save her. Losing our daughter isn't your fault. I love you, and I don't blame you for anything."

"Trying doesn't matter if I always fail," he shouted, bursting into sobs again and burying his face in the blanket.

"You didn't fail," Harley whispered. "I'm still here."

"I'm sorry," he gasped, his throat burning with the effort of holding back his tears. He swallowed hard, wiping his eyes. "I didn't mean to…" Dick choked, staring at the wall as he tried to get ahold of himself. _She doesn't want to have to cater to you. She lost her daughter. She doesn't want to have to pull you together, too. Pick up the pieces yourself._ He took a shaky breath, looking down at his hands, tears welling in his eyes again against his will.

"Dick," Harley said sharply; she took a deep breath. "He was going to kill me and take our baby. The Joker was going to…" She closed her eyes, trying to hold in the tears as her throat constricted. _Don't tell him why. He'll think it's his fault_. "If he'd… Even if she's- she's… it's better than…" Harley cleared her throat, unable to talk.

"I should have killed the son of a bitch," Dick closed his eyes tight. "And I don't _care_ if I would have 'lost myself' or regretted it later- I should have."

Harley shook her head. "All that time I spent with him, I should have known better than to let him live. Instead of those months planning against him, I should have just-" She looked down. "It's because I left him Haly's gone. Its all my fault."

"Don't say that," Dick said, a hurt, almost dangerous edge to his voice.

"It is," she insisted. "If I hadn't turned myself in to Arkham when he thought he'd killed me, or if we'd kept our relationship a secret, or if I hadn't stopped him at the Hall of Justice, or told him I didn't love him-"

"-everything you _just said_ happened for a reason. You told me! Everything we did, we had to do. What happened tonight, maybe…" he looked down. He was silent for a time, before he finally sighed again. "You should- we should eat something," he said quietly, getting unsteadily to his feet. He helped her up. Harley looked down at his hands helping her.

"I wish it was me instead of her," she admitted.

Dick felt his blood run cold, and his hand tightened around hers. _Haly… Don't you ever say that again._ His jaw was tight, his eyes lightless as he turned away from her towards the door. "I'll make us some food." _This discussion is over._ "I think there are cans of soup in the cabinet…" _Don't you ever…_ He could scarcely breathe. What would he have done? If she was gone, and Haly was here? He was almost… glad that he didn't have to think about it. Glad that he didn't have to make that decision. The guilt burned in his cheeks, and he started down the stairs, terrified that she'd see. Harley glanced around the destroyed nursery once he was gone.

 _She didn't even get a chance_. Harley closed her eyes. She couldn't even picture what her baby looked like; she'd never seen her. _She had her whole life ahead, and I've already ruined mine_. She crossed her arms over her chest as she numbly walked from the room. She froze outside the master bedroom door, her breath catching in her throat.

With a trembling hand, she pushed the door open. She immediately closed her eyes and turned away. Turned away from the blood, and the darkness, and the _familiarity_. Harley shuffled toward the stairs. Clark and Wally were slinking up, their tails between their legs. Harley squatted in front of them.

"Hey guys," she breathed. She stroked their heads as they nuzzled her arms and knees, whimpering. She held them tight, sobbing. She hiccuped her tears to a stop, and let them go; Wally licked her face. She could hear Dick in the kitchen and hesitantly went down the stairs. He moved around the kitchen quietly, going through the movements. He dropped the pot of soup on the stove and it sizzled as he leaned against the counter and stared out the window.

"I don't even know what to do," he whispered.

"About what?" Harley asked, crossing her arms as she stayed in the doorway.

"Can we just… is it even possible to just… I don't know what to do. Just go to bed? I mean…" he looked at his watch and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't realized that it was already getting so late in the day. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Harley rubbed her thumb along her arm, "I guess, yeah."

"I guess," he repeated, crossing his arms and staring at the wall. He had to admit, some sleep would feel good. He spooned some soup into two bowls, handing one to Harley. Before she carried it to the table he caught her with a hand on her cheek. He looked at her lovingly for a minute, still pained, but for a brief moment there was emotion in his eyes. Dick sighed a little and walked to the table.

"Are you ever going to be able to _look_ at me again?" Harley asked, staring at the soup in her hands. "It's like you can't even stand the sight of me."

"Harley, don't…" Dick put his elbows on the table and covered his face, sighing in exasperation.

"Don't what?" She put her bowl on the table. "It's like you're repulsed by the sight of me. I had to _beg_ you to even look at me," she reminded him. She pulled some of her hair over her shoulder, playing with the end of it.

"I'm not… That's not…" He ran his hands through his hair. Harley stared at him for a moment.

"Okay." She sunk down into a chair, staring at her soup again. "Okay." Her hands hung at her sides, and she didn't even try to pick up her spoon.

Dick was quiet for a while, before he looked at her. "I love you. I can't look at you… I can't…" he looked down in frustration. "Martinez. The only nurse that… that _took pity_ on me. No one would even _talk_ to me. The nurse…" he trailed off again. "She looked like you." Harley froze. "I didn't see her, but she… she told me that she looked like you. Black hair, blue eyes. But she looked like you." Dick looked down. "I'm sorry, Harley. I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard to think… to not blame myself. I'm trying to keep myself together because you…" _I can't imagine what you're going through. She was a part of you._ "I love you." Dick stood and walked around the table, wrapping his arms around her. She felt the weight of his head resting on hers. He sniffed a bit, tears welling in his eyes. "Come on."

He quietly pulled her chair out, neither of them felt like eating anyway, and he picked her up. His throat choked up at how much lighter she was. He held her like a child, her legs tucked around his waist. One arm wrapped around her back and the other held her up, her thin arms around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder. He carried her quietly upstairs to the guest bedroom; theirs still had blood on the floors, and he was too exhausted to clean it up, and he wasn't about to have her- or _him_ \- have a panic attack. Ivy had taken everything of hers the night before, telling them she was planning on leaving again as soon as the wedding was over. She was probably still with Jason now, but the room still smelled faintly of trees. Dick helped her gently under the blankets and tucked himself beside her, pulling her close to him and holding her tight. He didn't want to let her go. He just wanted to forget about everything for a few hours, maybe more; he wanted to fade into the darkness of sleep and pray for no more nightmares, waking or unconscious.

But of course, Dick knew they'd come. The curtains were drawn shut against the cloudy day outside. He lay quietly in the dark. The house was silent. Every creak from the wind outside sounded like a footstep; every car hissing by on the snow covered road sounded like a door opening. The Joker was still out there. Dick wanted to sleep, his eyelids drooping heavily, and he knew that Harley would only get more upset if he didn't. How could he, though?

Dick breathed slowly in the dark, his chest rising and falling at the same steady pace. Harley was pressed as close to him as she could get, his arm wrapped protectively around her; he felt wary. Guarding. Not against her, against the outside world. He was no longer quick to love, quick to trust. She could tell he was still holding back, still terrified to death but hiding his emotions well. He didn't say a word, didn't move; just stared vacantly at the ceiling.

 _He didn't win…_


	23. Sick Little Games

_**It's impossible to function.**_

 _ **Impossible to breathe. How can anyone expect them to go on living? They've both lost people they love, but never in this way, and never so harshly. Dick and Harley's pasts can't compare to the hellish roller coaster that their future together has been, and will be.**_

 _ **Unfortunately, it's not over. As impossible as that may seem. How else can they be hurt so completely? The pain has only just begun, and the Joker has a lot more in store for the family- they just don't know it yet.**_

 _Harley walked into the living room. She smiled at everyone. Haly was across her chest with her head on Harley's shoulder as she patted her back._

 _"Sorry," she smiled, "someone was a little cranky when she woke up."_

 _"Oh!" Selina leaped up from the couch and rushed to Harley's side. "She's beautiful." She beamed down at Haly, waggling her fingers. Haly blinked up at her with wide blue eyes. Her black hair was a frizzy tuft. "Oh my gosh," Selina turned to Bruce, "we shouldn't have left."_

 _"It was your honeymoon, of course you should have," Harley scolded. Selina did look well and tan. She had a happy glow as she smiled. "You didn't miss too much. Here." With a smile, she gently cradled Haly in Selina's arms. Haly fussed for a moment before settling down. Selina beamed at her._

 _"Hello Sweetie," she cooed. Harley took the burping rag off her shoulder and laid it on the coffee table. Bruce stood behind Selina, looking over her shoulder at Haly. She reached her pudgy little hand up to him._

 _"Careful," Jason warned, "she spit up on me."_

 _"She has good taste then," Ivy told him. Her legs were draped over his as they sat on the couch, and she smiled at him._

 _"I'm not impressed," Steph joked. "When she karate chops her crib, I'll be impressed." Haly gurgled, twisting her hands in Selina's shirt. "Never mind," Steph awed. "I'm impressed." She grabbed Tim's hands, squeezing them._

 _"I want one." Selina looked up at Bruce. He glanced at her before returning his attention to Haly who had taken his thumb in both of her hands._

 _"She looks so fragile," Cass commented, watching Haly warily._

 _"Well she's a baby. Just don't try to spar with her," Harley advised. Cass glared at her before looking back at the baby. Damian was at Harley's side, his eyes glued on Haly. Harley wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You can hold her next," Harley promised._

 _"No, I call dibs," Barbara said as she and Sam shook the snow off their coats as they walked in. She beelined for the baby._

 _"You just got here. Wait your turn," Steph snapped. Haly cried weakly, and Tim and Selina shushed Steph. Dick gave Haly her pacifier, and she quieted again, sucking on it happily. He wrapped his arms around Harley, kissing her cheek._

 _"Don't we get a say in who holds her?" he asked. "She's our daughter." He looked around at his family happily._

 _"So? You get her all the time," Ivy reasoned._

 _"Yeah, share," Tim cried. Harley rolled her eyes giggling. She wrapped her arms around Dick's waist, and he rested his chin on her head, sighing happily. She looked at Haly; she looked exactly like Dick._

 _Someone laughed._

 _Harley spun around. Everyone seemed to have frozen around her, still smiling._

 _"Now, now," the Joker scolded. "I told you what I'd do."_

 _"No," Harley gasped. "Leave her alone." She tried to turn back to Haly, but no one was there; she was surrounded by darkness._

 _"She's_ mine _," the Joker hissed, his voice floating over to her. "I told you I'd strip his flesh away," he screamed. Harley cried out as she was suddenly blinded by a bright light. She was tied to the table, covered in blood and sobbing. The Joker leaned over her, leering. "I told you he wouldn't save you."_

 _Harley looked over and saw Dick kneeling at the edge of the light. He was staring at her, his eyes hollow and emotionless._

 _"Dick!" she screamed. "Help me!" He didn't move._

 _"I told you he was broken." The Joker grabbed her face. "I've won."_

Harley sat up screaming as he slashed his scalpel across her stomach. _Not Haly. Don't take Haly_. She struggled.

"Harley!" Dick grabbed her arms as she thrashed around in the blankets; she fought him. "Harley, it's just a nightmare." She still struggled against him before her eyes focused on his face. Her body slumped as she started crying.

"Then why is it still real when I'm awake?" She sobbed. Dick swallowed hard, holding her tight as he buried his face in her hair.

"Shhhh… It's okay, I'm here," he breathed. _Is it me? Am_ I _your nightmare?_

"She's gone," Harley whimpered, bawling on his shoulder. "He took her, and she's gone."

"He…" Dick was too afraid to ask. After listening to her cry and call out in her sleep, and trying to wake her from her nightmares, he didn't want to know. "It's going to be okay, Harley. It'll be okay…"

"What if he comes back?" she breathed, her body trembling.

"I won't let him hurt you anymore," Dick whispered, pinching his eyes closed. He held her tight; she clung to him.

"He's still out there. He's always going to be after us."

"No," he lied. She needed to hear positivity. He just wanted her to be calm. To find some peace. "No, he won't. I won't let him. We'll be okay. Even if we have to leave Gotham. Move somewhere nice… I've always wanted to live in the country."

"But if we leave, he'll go after the people we leave behind. If anyone else is..." Her fingers tightened in his shirt. "But I..." she glanced up him, "I can't go through that again." She closed her eyes. "And I can't relive it every night." She buried her face in his shirt again. "I can't, and I don't know what to do."

"You smile," Dick said quietly, his voice cracking. He looked down. Clearing his throat, he pulled her back down with him to lay in the blankets. "Everyone will yell at you and tell you you're not well, you're not taking care of yourself, you're not handling this correctly, and you're _not_ , but… you just have to figure out a way. When I lost you, I um… I had to figure it out on my own. But you have me. I'm here." _Even if you don't want me to be._ Harley curled up beside him, crying herself to a stop.

"Thank you," she sniffled.

"Try to sleep," he kissed her cheek. She caught his hand, her body going tense.

"I can't," she breathed. He watched her carefully.

"Are you tired?" he finally asked, moving his hand in hers and wrapping his fingers gently around hers.

"I don't want to sleep," she hedged.

"You need to rest," he whispered, bringing a hand up to stroke her face gently.

"I think we both know how that would turn out," she argued. She looked down as she played with the fingers of his free hand.

"I knew how it would turn out every time I've closed my eyes for months," he snapped, and then bit his tongue. Harley's hands flinched back, releasing his. "Then don't sleep," he said, quieter. "Run yourself aground. I'm only trying to help you."

"Fine," she mumbled. She turned away, pulling the covers up as she laid stiffly beside him. Dick looked down.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" he gave up, laying down again and staring at the ceiling. After a moment he spoke again. "We can't lose each other. We can't do that."

"Then stop pushing me away," she whispered. She didn't move, but Dick could feel the blankets pull as she held them tighter. "It's like it hurts you to be near me."

"Nothing like that," Dick whispered. She felt his strong arm around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest. The sensation of his gentle hand tucking under her waist, his steady breathing behind her back and exhaling against her neck, the gentle weight of his head resting against hers; it was all very calming. "I know you don't want me to blame myself," his voice was a whisper against her skin, "but you have to know that I do. I want to be near you. God, I just want to hold you- but I'm so terrified. I don't want to hurt you." His hand lifted from around her waist and traced the scars on her arm left by the Joker's scalpel. His voice was thick with tears as he spoke, and he sighed slowly.

"Well you are hurting me." Harley squeezed her eyes closed. "I feel tainted, like all you're seeing is _him_. It hurts so much to have you flinch away from my touch with vacant eyes when I all I want is to for you to hold me and love me. It feels like you have one foot out the door, like you're trying to leave, and it _hurts_ me. You keep looking at me like all you see are the scars, like you're repulsed by the sight of them. And that _hurts_ because I can't hide them, I can't take them away or make it so they didn't happen." Harley choked back a sob, keeping her back to him. "And you keep looking at me like all you can see is the daughter we lost, like I'm only half a person now. And it hurts that you're pulling away. And it hurts to see the blame. And it hurts that we can't go back to before. It hurts to know I said those terrible things to you before you left, and how I _wish_ I could take them back, and how I was _terrified_ they would be the last things I said to you, and that you might think I didn't love you. And it _hurts_ because I do love you."

Dick bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to… I don't know what I can do to explain that that _isn't_ how I feel. I don't know what to do to fix this. To make it better, even. I'm trying, Harley." His voice cracked and he looked down, hiccuping a bit as he began to cry. Dick pulled her closer. "It's either play it distant or break down completely," he whispered, terrified of losing control like he had in the nursery. _Why did this have to happen?_ He went quiet.

"The playing it distant tactic is killing me." Harley curled up in a ball. "I already lost Haly, I can't lose you too," she breathed.

"You will never lose me," Dick whispered, a hand moving to her face. he touched her cheek and made her look over her shoulder at him. "I will _never_ leave you. I've put up such a fight for you, do you really think I'd ever let you go? That I'd ever stop loving you?" Dick watched her, his light eyes searching, his brow knit worriedly. "You won't lose me."

 _That was too obvious. Too obvious… The Batman will see right through it._

"The Batman," Joker laughed out loud, and then immediately cried out in pain as the stitches in his cheek pulled. Nightwing had descended upon him out of nowhere. They'd fought, but what the Joker thought would be his advantage, the boy's rage; had actually worked against him. Nightwing had begun hitting and hadn't stopped, for a brief moment in his scrambled mind, the Joker had felt panic. He'd drawn his silver dagger and swung blindly. Nightwing had caught his hand in alarm and reversed it on the Joker himself, lashing out and accidentally tearing his cheek open. A jagged, crudely stitched gash crept from the corner of his lip to his cheekbone, completing the garish smile on his face.

 _Too obvious a hijink_ , he thought worriedly.

A laugh began in the back of his throat before he began howling with laughter, throwing his head back and cackling madly, a stitch popping closest to his lip. "It worked. It _worked._ By golly gee, the Nightwing has fallen. Oh the humanity!" he laughed hysterically before coughing and clutching at his chest. He cried out and winced, closing his eyes tight against the pain blossoming across his chest.

"You- you did this to me-" he gasped, letting out a wheezing laugh. He looked around the tiny, empty bedroom. The bottom drawer was open in the dresser, blankets and clothes spilling out of it. The bed was a mess and broken on one side, paper and clothing and fabric and supplies strewn all over the floor. The one window in the opposite wall was boarded up tight, keeping the cold at bay, and the room was a bit stuffy. A fire burned in the tiny fireplace, giving warmth to the small circle of light around it. Joker began to pace the floor, limping a bit. He remained fully dressed, changed out of the clothes that were stained with her blood.

 _Her._

"Shut up," Joker snapped.

"Please. Please don't do this. I thought you loved me! You did, didn't you…" He walked down the length of the room and back up.

" _We're all part of the same sick little games_ ," he sang, tapping his foot.

"Stop it," Joker hissed, turning around and glaring at the wall. "You know what you did. You know it's your fault. It doesn't bother _you_ any. Why would it? You're fine. I'm fine. She has a new life now with that…" he growled, his hands clenching into fists. "That black haired, perfect eyed dream boat that all the little Supergirls fall in love with- couldn't stay on your own territory, could you, lover boy?! I should have stolen that crippled Batgirl, you loved her once upon a blue moon. But no. This is better. This is how it has to be. You lost your daughter- now just your wife- The perfect revenge."

Joker laughed, pulling at the stitches on his cheek. He grinned at himself in the broken mirror propped up on the mantlepiece.

"And _you._ This is all for you…" his voice was a sing-songy, hushed whisper. "Mr. Dark Knight. Gotham's Avenging Angel. How do you like it? I've been doing all the wrong things, looking in all the wrong places…. I've broken you. I've beaten you. Never this indirectly, and never this _wholeheartedly._ "

He paused, smiling to himself.

"The ruined honeymoon was an added bonus."

His hands flicked nervously at his sides, and he pulled on the stitches again, crying out at the pain it caused. Joker laughed. His white face stood out starkly against the dark room, limp green curls framing his high forehead.

"Why must we always do this!" he exploded, and there was a scratching in the opposite end of the room at his outburst. "We go round and round the garden, doing this damn dance of ours. I win, you lose, _game over._ "

He laughed madly, and the stirring came again. _Rats, probably,_ he thought, taking off his shoe and throwing it at the corner of the room where the scuffing had come from. Crying arose following the loud noise, and he blinked in surprise. Joker crept quietly towards the dresser and tugged away the blanket over the bottom drawer, the crying growing louder at the cold in the room. He frowned down at the baby tucked in the blankets, wrapped like a perfect little nest around it's tiny body.

"Hello, tiny," he grinned.

The baby cried, her petite arms flailing a bit. Her pudgy cheeks reddened as big tears rolled down them. Joker scrutinized her.

"You look like your mommy," he whispered soothingly, reaching a hand down to smooth the dark tuft of hair on her little head. Joker grinned and laughed. "Well except for that. You've got dark hair like _he_ does. But _I_ used to have dark hair, too, you know."

He crept closer and tucked a hand under the newborn as she looked up at him in confusion, her big blue eyes still wet with tears. Joker wrapped her up in a blanket and tucked it around her face, holding her against his chest. Haly fussed a bit, and he moved closer to the fire, sitting cross-legged with her in his arms. It was warmer, there.

"Diapers," Joker said suddenly. "And baby milk. You need things, don't you little tiny? You need a name, too. I'll think of one."

Haly started to cry again, and Joker frowned sadly, scooting closer to the warmth of the fire.

"Don't worry," he smiled. "I'll take good care of you. I'll love you, and you'll love me and be as crazy as I am, and one day- you'll kill the Batman for us. You'll be a legend," he laughed. Joker bent a finger and put his knuckle in Haly's mouth. She went quiet and sucked happily.

"There. Now stop whining. I'll go get you something as soon as I go out tonight. In the meantime, sweet nightmares, little tiny."


	24. What You've Been Building Up To

_**Their baby is dead.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick don't know how to carry on living without her. Since they lost Haly, Dick has been distant and Harley has been inconsolable. It was too much to bear, and they've done everything to keep from being crushed by the sheer sorrow.**_

 _ **Everything short of rely on their family. When Batman calls and demands Dick's help while Robin is ill, he knows its for the best. Harley goes to stay at the Manor, and she too finds some comfort in confiding in the family.**_

Harley jerked awake with a gasp, sitting bolt upright in bed. She wasn't sure how many times she'd done it that night. Always the same. The same dream, the same dark room. Except…

 _Dick was gone._

Her hand slid over his empty spot on the bed, and she threw the covers back in a panic, running out into the hall and starting for the stairs, but she stopped. The nursery door at the end of the hall was open. As she crept toward it quietly, she could see Dick's shadow in the moonlight- they'd slept all day, already- pouring into the hallway, his silhouette frozen in the middle of the room.

"Dick?" She said quietly. She stepped into the doorway, holding onto it as she watched him.

He didn't answer.

"Dick," she said a little louder, touching his arm as she walked around him to look in his eyes. They were completely vacant- not emotionless, but asleep.

"Crying," he mumbled.

"What?" Harley touched his face.

"She was crying I had to come… come do something or feed her…" he said slowly, his brows knitting and then smoothing out again. Harley leaned her forehead against his.

"It's okay. She… she's asleep," her voice cracked, "you should go back to bed too." Dick nodded slowly, following her out of the room with his hand in hers. Harley pulled him back into the guest room, glancing away from their bedroom door. She sat him back down on the bed. "Go back to sleep," she ordered gently. Dick rubbed his eyes and looked up at her, reaching a hand up towards her face.

"Will you stay with me?" Harley nodded, grabbing his hand.

"Yeah." She laid down beside him.

Dick was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. And as soon as he did, his phone rang on the bedside table. He stirred a bit, frowning in his sleep. Harley quickly picked it up, answering.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Harley." Bruce sounded surprised. "I… how are you?" his voice was gentler now. "How is he?"

"Well," she glanced down at Dick, brushing his bangs out of his face, "he's sleeping."

"Wake him up, I need him."

"Bruce," Harley sighed, her voice pleading. "He's actually _sleeping_."

"Jason is AWOL, again, Tim left, and Damian is throwing up and begging me to go with me. I _need_ him."

"I just… If I wake him up, I don't know when he'll go to sleep again."

"He needs this. Batcave. Twenty minutes. It would be best if you stayed at the Manor."

Bruce hung up. Harley frowned at it, glancing back at Dick. She watched him sleeping. She didn't want to wake him up, but she didn't want to make Bruce mad either. She reached her hand out toward him before drawing it back. _I don't want him to leave me_.

Harley sighed, shaking her head. She went to nudge him awake before her hand dropped to her side again. Dick's phone buzzed on the pillow where she'd dropped it.

Don't make me come get him

Dick jerked awake at the noise and sat up, rubbing his face. He glanced at her. "Harley? Are you okay?" he watched her tiredly, a hand moving toward hers.

"Yeah," she assured him, taking his hand. "But, um," her brow furrowed, "Bruce called." She showed him the text. Dick's face fell.

"He wants me, doesn't he?" He looked down. "Right. Okay." He stood unsteadily and yawned a bit before stopping. "Oh. My… my uniform is…" He looked down. _Still soaked in your blood_. "I have another." He shrugged. "What are you doing? You're going to the Manor, I hope?" Harley nodded.

"I guess Damian is sick, so I'll hang out with him or something. Maybe I'm lucky and he'll be miserable with me."

Dick nodded slowly. "Good. Good, you'll be… safer there," he sighed. "If you want to pack some things, I'll be back up in a moment." He walked out of the room, coming back quickly in case she panicked again. When he stepped into the room, she almost smiled. The blue stripe across his chest stood out in the dark room.

"That's an outfit I haven't seen in a while, pretty boy."

Dick looked down, touching the stripe. "Would you believe me if I said that I've grown since I last wore it? It feels too tight," he commented.

"That's because you never fed yourself," she reminded him.

"I did too," he muttered, grabbing her bag for her as they walked down the stairs and to the garage. The corner of Harley's mouth turned up a little. She grabbed his free hand, walking closer to him. The dogs trotted over to the bottom of the stairs when they heard movement. Wally licked his nose, his ears flat on his head. Dick whistled shortly, and they both sprinted forward, running around his feet as he opened the garage door. Dick opened Harley's door for her and then got into the car, and he dropped his mask in the cupholder before pulling out. Wally flopped on Clark in the backseat.

"Do you think we'll ever get back to normal?" Harley asked quietly once they reached the end of the street. "Do you think we'll ever _feel_ normal?"

Dick looked down for a moment, and then back up at the road. "I don't know, Harley. But I'm here. We're both still here." He took her hand, his fingers lacing with hers, the blue streaks down his middle and ring finger standing out starkly against her pale hand.

 _But she isn't_ , Harley felt crushed by the thought. She wiped away a tear with the hand not held in Dick's, used to how they never seemed to stop. Dick bit his lip, looking at her. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. They drove in silence the rest of the way to the Manor, and when they walked in, Damian stood by the door. His face was pale, his eyes and nose reddened. His black hair stood in every direction, and he had a blanket loosely wrapped around his shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Dick looked at him, putting on his mask.

"Where is Bruce?"

"Batcave," Damian nodded towards the library, and Dick left them.

"Master Damian, you'd bloody well be in your bed by the time I get back!" Alfred shouted from the kitchen and Damian scoffed, scratching Wally's ear. Harley watched him for a second.

"You look terrible," she told him truthfully.

"So do you," he muttered irritably, and then coughed into his blanket.

"We both have good reason." She shrugged. "No go lay down before I get Alfred in here."

"Pennyworth doesn't frighten me," he muttered, as Alfred came out of the kitchen wielding a spoon.

"I'd better frighten you, Master Damian if you're not back in your bed this instant-" He hit Damian with the spoon and Damian cried out, running off. Alfred sighed and smoothed his hair back. "Miss Harley. I am sorry."

"Hey Alfred. How's it going?"

"Infuriatingly quiet." He sighed deeply and looked at her. "How are you, Miss?" Harley thought about it for a second.

"Not okay," she admitted.

"Well perhaps you will have better luck with Master Damian," Alfred raised an eyebrow, watching her. He turned to the kitchen, pausing only a moment to glance over his shoulder. "It's not my place, but I am sorry for your loss." He spoke quietly, and then walked into the kitchen, returning with a tray full of supplies. Alfred handed it to her. "He's gone to his room, I hope."

"I would too if you threatened me with a spoon," Harley muttered. She smiled a little at him before heading up the stairs. Alfred watched her go and then looked down, fighting the burning in his eyes before walking slowly back to the kitchen.

Damian was in his room, half dressed in his Robin costume when Harley entered and he looked up in shock, yanking his tunic over his head. She set the tray on the end table.

"No." She crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"I'm fine!" he spat, coughing a bit as he pulled his cape on, leaning against the bedpost so that he didn't pass out from the dizziness.

"Well I'm not fine, so lay back down before I cry," she warned. Damian stared at her in confusion.

"No. I don't _want_ any part of this- I already have to tell Grayson ten times a week. I don't want to… to 'snuggle'." He crossed his arms. "Besides, I'll get you sick."

"Well I have Antitoxin," Harley mimicked his tone. "And if you leave, you have to explain to Grayson why you left me alone."

"I don't want to be left here," he snapped, but began struggling in his frustration with his cape to get it off. Harley knelt to his height and helped him take it off.

"Neither do I," she whispered. Damian watched her, his white-blue eyes reflecting his father's cold determination. He looked down, pulling his tunic off over his head. Scars riddled his back and chest; his torso was so small, but the number of scars rivaled Dick's. She was shocked, though she didn't know why. What else did she expect? Damian crawled dejectedly into bed, coughing.

"We could both go out you know," he tried.

"And do what?" Harley asked. "Batman and Nightwing are out there." She crawled into the bed beside him, pulling the covers up to her chin. She glanced over at him. "Nope, your job is making me feel protected."

"It's Batman and _Robin_ not Batman and Nightwing," he said, sounding a little hurt. Dick had told her about this once, how Damian always seemed insecure at anyone insinuating that his father had any other partnership besides with him. "I just want to help." He looked up at her, icy blue eyes exhausted and reddened around the edges. His tiny torso was practically radiating heat beside her. "Could you please get me some water?" He asked quietly. Harley sat up and looked at the tray on the nightstand. A bottle of cold medicine and another of vitamins was there, as well as a covered bowl of soup, an iced water bottle, a box of tissues, a cup of tea with a lemon beside it, and a thermometer. Harley handed him the water. She watched him drink for a moment.

"It used to be the Joker and Harley Quinn," she reminded him gently. "Did you know my college boyfriend went crazy and died because of Joker Venom?" she asked. Damian stared up at her. "That's why I wanted to study him. The Joker. He could kill people miles away without lifting a finger, and he wouldn't even know. That was fascinating to me. So I guess, I was leading up to the point in my life for a while." She stared at the wall for a second. "I'm not saying Batman and Robin are that equivalent, but… It wasn't always Batman and Robin. There hasn't always been a Robin and there won't always be. You're not going to be Robin forever are you? You could be, or you could even be Nightwing some day, or Red Robin - don't hurt me for that, or Red Hood I guess, or Batman, or something else. Something you choose. Sometimes what you've been building up to all along… sucks. But it's not the end of the world. I may not be one to talk because it kind of feels like that right now."

"I'm sorry," Damian looked down. He coughed a little bit. "But now you have Richard. It's not all bad. He's the one that taught me- well _showed_ me that it can never be all bad. Especially when he's around." He smiled a little, and then flopped back down on his pillow.

"He isn't always around," Harley whispered. Damian frowned, his eyes distant for a moment.

"He… he tries though," he insisted, sticking his nose up a bit. "He's not like Father. Or me, or Todd… He tries to be there for everyone and he's just… sometimes…" Damian looked down, trying hard to think of an argument to support his brother.

"Late?" Harley offered.

"Well that's why some of us have to take care of ourselves," Damian said quietly, going a bit pale. He scrambled up and raced into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before he was throwing up. "I felt fine- this morning-" he gasped, whimpering a bit and closing his eyes, his small body trembling with his fever where he knelt on the bathroom tile.

"Is it the flu?" Harley had followed him in and wet a rag in the sink. She knelt beside him and wiped the sweat off his face.

"Pennyworth says that it is," Damian coughed and retched again, starting to cry. "I _hate_ being sick-" he sniffled, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm.

"Nobody likes it," she assured him. She ran her fingers through his hair, unsticking the damp strands from his forehead. Damian coughed, getting unsteadily to his feet. He flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth in the sink, walking weakly back to bed.

"I'm sorry, Harley. No one knows what you and Dick are going through," he spoke as if he'd been thinking about it for a while, but just decided to voice it. "None of us know that pain, except maybe Stephanie- but all of us know something equal to an extent. We're all here. Richard- Dick likes to go off on his own when he's grieving, despite his deep seated fear of being singled out and alone… Don't let him take you with him. You have a family here to lean on." Damian watched her for a moment, and then rubbed his eyes and coughed weakly. He got into bed as Allie and Alfred slunk into the room, the cats jumping up onto the bed with him.

Harley rinsed the hand towel out with cold water, ringing it in the sink. She folded it as she walked over to the bed, laying it across his forehead as she sat beside him.

"You know, all of you look at these scars and feel guilty." She looked down at her hands. "I can't feel regret for them." Her eyes flicked up to Damian's face. "He wanted to cut Haly out of my stomach." She blinked slowly. "I don't know if I could describe what it feels like to have someone want to take your baby away like that. Every time he was stabbing me or watching me struggle or breaking a bone, he wasn't taking her." She quickly wiped a tear away as Allie sniffed her shirt. "I guess it would compare it to something like… You would get stabbed repeatedly before letting someone lay a finger on Dick," she said it like a fact, looking at him. "Because it would hurt so much worse for someone to cut your heart out like that, right?" She sniffled. "But she's still gone. Even if he didn't touch her, he still took her away."

"Shame," Damian looked down. "I… _was_ looking forward to having a niece." Harley nodded, curling up beside him.

"Was your Christmas present ruined too?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.

"I've never cared much for Christmas," he remarked, closing his eyes.

"Me neither." Harley stroked Allie as she circled between them. _That's why I was so excited for this year_. "You should get some sleep."

"I don't sleep at night." Damian stated matter-of-factly. Harley glared at him.

"Humor me."

"I slept all day," he yawned, the exhaustion from the illness weighing on him.

"Well then don't sleep, just lay there with your eyes closed." Damian did as she told him, and within minutes he was breathing softly, sound asleep. His dark hair stuck up away from his hot forehead, his cheeks flushed pink. He shivered a bit. Harley took the damp cloth off his forehead, setting it aside as she pulled the covers up. Alfred mewled at her, crawling underneath them. "You'd think with your name, you'd be better behaved," she muttered, curling back into a ball as Allie sniffed her face.


	25. Did You Say Goodbye

_**Back to work.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick have suffered a loss, and the rest of their family knows that it's not healthy to shut them out. When Batman called, he knew that Nightwing needed something other to focus on than his own grief, and so did Harley; she stays at Wayne Manor taking care of Damian, who's been taken ill.**_

 _ **Meanwhile, Nightwing and Batman patrol the streets of Gotham, looking for trouble. Trouble they find- in the form of a flaming skyscraper at the hands of a madman. He's not letting up, and neither can they.**_

Nightwing trailed behind Batman, just like he used to. Batman knew the behavior well. It was the same way his son had been for years, if he'd failed a test, if they'd had a fight; when he broke up with Barbara, when he dropped out of college, or when he'd accidentally hurt Damian. Nightwing- _Robin_ at the time- would always hover just behind his mentor, trying to fade into the background. They'd already stopped two robberies, and neither of the street thugs had known anything about the Joker.

"How are you holding up?" Batman asked curtly, and Nightwing looked up. It was strange to see him in blue again after nearly a year wearing red.

"I'm… I don't know, B. I'm not good," he said quietly, as they stopped on a rooftop overlooking the city. From Downtown Gotham, they could see Wayne Enterprises. Batman looked at him.

"The funeral is tomorrow. I thought I'd… I thought I'd handle it for you."

"I can't-" Nightwing looked down. _I can't handle thinking about that, no_. "Thank you." He cleared his throat. There was another long moment of silence.

"Have you talked to someone about it?" Batman asked.

"I don't need to talk to someone, Batman," he sighed.

"Yes you do," Batman insisted. "If I'm any indication, keeping it quiet isn't the solution."

"You always use yourself as an example," Nightwing said with a sarcastic smirk. "Low self-esteem is not exactly reassuring from the man who raised me."

"I never wanted to be a role model. I just wanted to give all of you a better life than you would have had otherwise." Batman shrugged, looking down at the street below. His breath steamed out before him as he sighed. "And you would be mistaken to think I haven't talked about my losses."

"Bull shit. About the not wanting to be a role model thing, not the talking- I _know_ you've talked to people- hell, you talked to _me_ when you lost Jason. But that was months after the fact, and after that weird guy with the teeth and the crazy eyes nearly killed you- _months_ later." Nightwing looked at him over his shoulder, his face screwed up in irritation. "I came here to work. Not to chat. It's too soon." The white lenses of his mask were expressionless, hiding the tears in his eyes. Nightwing's jaw was tight, and his dark hair brushed about his forehead in the breeze.

"I know, but there's never been anyone left in the tragedy with you." Batman turned to face him, his oldest son. The one who'd been with him the longest. "I know you. You're going to shut down, but you don't get to this time. If you think the Joker is going to leave the two of you alone-" he remembered all the blood when they'd checked out where Dick had found Harley- "or that Harley is going to be able to make through this without you… you _can't_ withdraw this time." Nightwing's jaw tightened.

"I know," he said simply. Batman watched him for a second before turning away.

"Have you thought about what your course of action is going to the next time you see the Joker?"

 _Murder._ Nightwing looked down. "No."

"Has Harley said anything that could help us find him?"

"No." Nightwing said shortly. He didn't seem eager to cooperate. Batman shot him a look.

"Do you even _want_ to find him?"

"Not particularly," he snapped.

"Fine. We can let him wander the streets if that's what you want, planning how he's going to finish what he started."

"Oh please Bruce," Nightwing said angrily. "I have _complete_ faith that you'll catch the Joker. Someday." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Batman turned to snap back when a voice sounded in their comms.

"Batman this is the Commissioner," Gordon sounded rather unsure.

"What is it Commissioner?" Batman growled.

"You told me to notify you on this line if anything big happened. There's been an explosion at Wayne Enterprises." Nightwing and Batman both turned to look at the smoking skyscraper. "It was in the top floors, but we need help with evacuation. More are set to go off."

Nightwing dove off of the roof without another word, and they both leapt into the Batmobile, speeding towards Uptown Gotham. When they screeched to a halt a block away, another explosion shook the ground, the sound of shattering glass deafening as it rained down on the concrete. Nightwing got out of the vehicle, exhaling slowly as he looked up at the flaming glass and steel inferno towering above them.

"Holy _shit_ , Batman…" Nightwing muttered, and they both sprinted down the block toward the Commissioner.

"It was mostly night time workers, janitors, security guards, and some scientists in the labs," Gordon spoke quickly. "They made it to fortieth floor before the stairwell filled with smoke- they're trapped-"

Nightwing dove forward towards the blazing building, wrenching the door open. He looked around for a moment, confident that Batman was on his heels, and then ran towards the elevator doors, pulling them open. He looked up, shrapnel raining down from the pinprick of orange light at the top of the shaft. Pulling out an escrima stick, he aimed and fired, the line pulling him upward through the air, getting thicker with smoke and dust as he rose. Nightwing put his rebreather in his mouth, letting it filter the air. On the fortieth floor he expertly released the grappling hook and flipped forward, his toes catching the ledge and balancing as he sheathed his escrima stick and wedged his fingers in the elevator door, pulling it open. As he stepped onto the floor, a tremendous snap echoed down the shaft and he turned just in time to see the elevator shoot past at blinding speed.

"Batman!" he screamed, leaning through the door and watching it plummet to a fiery explosion on the final floor.

"I'm fine," Batman radioed. "On the thirty-first floor."

"Good," Nightwing breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm going to go find the civilians now, make your way up to-" he was cut off as another tremendous explosion rocked the building, the blast barreling down the elevator shaft and throwing him forward. Batman covered his face with his cape from the heat, and Nightwing coughed.

"Are you alright?!" Batman demanded, and Nightwing nodded.

"I'm fine. Let's do this fast. What's the extraction plan?"

"Out the windows. We can't get them down the elevators with the shafts channeling the blasts like that- it also means less time before the building collapses. Get the civilians out," he ordered.

"You're going to defuse the remaining bombs?"

"They seem to be on a timer. I have about five minutes until the next floor blows."

"The building is growing weaker by the second, we may not have one or two more blasts before it's rubble from the force," Nightwing pointed out, wading through the smoke, the lenses in his mask picking up the signatures of a few civilians ahead.

"Keep in touch. Going to defuse the bombs now."

Nightwing walked forward to exclamations of relief and panic from the doctors and security guards kneeling in a cluster to get out of the smoke. One man stood, and Nightwing assumed it must be the leader of the small party.

"Is this everyone?" he asked in the eerie quiet of the dark, the burning floors above hissing and crackling, muffled. Thirteen people crouched in a circle.

"Everyone that we could radio or find, yeah. There weren't very many people in the building, and most of them got out already," the doctor coughed. Middle aged, glasses- probably a tech supervisor. Nightwing nodded.

"Alright. Stay here. We have about five minutes until another explosion blows," he informed them, walking to the high glass window at the end of the hall. He pulled a small gadget out of his glove pocket and then sprayed explosive foam onto the glass, stepping back and turning around as the gel hardened and then blew the glass outward. Nightwing waved the doctor over. "I can take two at a time, and we have to move fast. You're a technician?"

The man nodded, waving over three more of the cluster of people. Nightwing looked at them. "Alright this will work. Look, take this-" he fired the grappling hook in his escrima stick at the floor at his feet, and it bit clean through the tile. "You'll have to hold on tight. The cording will release as far as you need to go. When you hit the ground, press this button to send it back up. Got it?" The technician nodded uneasily. "Two can go at a time."

Nightwing pressed the escrima stick into their hands. "Hold on tight. It will feel just like a roller coaster," he assured them as he fired the grappling hook of the second escrima stick into the floor. "This better work."

Batman examined the standard pipe bomb. He'd dismantled the one the floor before easy enough, and assumed the process on this one would be the same. The timer ticked down 8:24. 8:23. 8:22. He glanced out toward the windows, hoping Nightwing was getting everyone out safely. He stood up after the satisfying click of deactivating it.

"Do you like my little gift?" Joker purred behind him, laughing quietly. Batman spun around, his jaw clenching. He blinked in surprise at the Joker's appearance. He wore a black three piece suit, with a deep violet vest and a green bow tie. Spotless white gloves covered his long thin fingers, but it was his face that Batman couldn't tear his eyes away from. His cheeks were sunken and hollow, his eyes flashing madly under a miserable mop of green curls. His smile was accentuated by the deep, heavily stitched gash cutting jaggedly up to his cheekbone, widening his smile into a satanic grin.

"Not particularly," Batman said slowly.

"What do you think?" he asked, gesturing to his face, turning a bit so that Batman could see the tightly stitched gash better. "Courtesy of your eldest. Tried to wipe the smile from my face, but the joke is on him; now I'm _always_ smiling," he laughed.

 _Dick, please tell me you didn't do this_.

"So you're still playing at something?" he asked. "Couldn't kill Harley, so you blow up a building?"

"I'm just passing. The. Time." With each word, he tapped his foot, smiling slyly.

"The bombs." Batman pressed his comm. "Nightwing, when you're done evacuating, can you take over defusing the bombs at the twenty-ninth floor? I have a situation."

"What's the sitch?" Nightwing asked. "I'm almost finished evacuating, just checking the floors-"

"-I only need eight minutes," Joker purred. Above them, the floor creaked, and he looked up. "Maybe less. Oh how time flies when you're having… fun."

"It's nothing I can't handle." Batman turned him comm off. "Give me one reason I shouldn't beat you unconscious and drag you to Arkham right now."

Joker thought for a moment. "Because of my charismatic charm?"

"Not good enough." He advanced toward him, sliding a batarang out of his utility belt.

"Because I have something you want," Joker stated darkly.

"Chances are I want you behind bars more."

"You've never been a gambling man," he said in surprise, his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping sarcastically. "Not when its _someone else's_ life at stake."

"But you've always been a gambling man, and not stopping you puts _hundreds_ of lives at stake." Batman glared.

"True, but that's _your_ fault. So am I bluffing now? Or is it a double bluff?" He grinned, fanning out a deck of cards in his hands like a magician, checking his watch. "Nightwing has just defused a bomb, I'd wager. No matter. The time lapse gets shorter and shorter as you near the bottom floors. He'll never know, and he'll never make it out alive. Ready to play the game? If I win, you lose another bird to the flame. If you win- well _you_ get to pick your own terms. So, Batman. Am. I. Bluffing?" Batman stared at him hatefully. He reactivated his comm.

"Nightwing, I'm coming to help you. What floor are you on?"

"Umm… twenty-four, I think. I'm heading down to the next. Have your situation handled?"

Joker watched him, still grinning darkly, shuffling the cards in his thin fingers.

"Not really." He turned the comm off again. "Next time I'm calling your bluff," he warned. Batman wanted nothing more than to arrest Joker right then and there; stop the man who'd caused so much pain. But he didn't doubt that Joker had leverage to make sure he made it out of this building alive. As he turned to go back down the elevator shaft, Joker's soft voice stopped him.

"Did you say goodbye, tonight, Mr. Wayne?" He froze, deliberately turning to face him again.

"There is no force in the world," his voice was calculated fury, "that could protect you if…" He trailed off, his jaw clenched.

"I actually think the fact that I _do_ is a force great enough," he grinned, laughing as he flicked his wrist and the Queen of Diamonds shot out of the deck. He caught it between his fingers, tossing the rest of the deck over his shoulder as he put his hand in his pocket, examining the card. "I wonder if the big bad Bat is fast enough to get there." He looked up at him curiously, walking forward as he struck a match and set the card alight.

"Get where?" Batman demanded.

"Batman, the clocks are set closer together I don't know if we should still be in the building- I won't make it, I need _help_ -" Nightwing said into the comm, sounding a bit panicked. Joker grinned at him, knowing that he was listening to the communicator.

"You didn't answer my question. Did you say goodbye to her tonight? Did you… _see her_ tonight? Or were you too busy searching for _me_?" Batman pressed his comm.

"Nightwing," his voice was suddenly weaker. "Selina is down there. Keep moving. I'm on my way."

"People _really_ shouldn't let their cats wander the streets at night. Someone may mistake them for a stray," Joker laughed, watching the burning bits of the card crumble to the ground. He walked close enough to Batman that he could be hit easily, taken down, even. He knew he wouldn't be as he grinned up at Batman's dark mask. Nose to nose. Batman glared down at him before sprinting toward the elevator shaft.

"Give my regards to the happy parents!" he called. "Extend my congratulations on the little girl." Joker's laugh echoed with him as Batman dove through the elevator doors.

Nightwing gasped in relief when he defused the bomb with forty seconds to spare. He ran back to the elevator shaft and dropped down to the next floor. Fifteen floors to go, and he had less than two minutes to run to the center office, defuse the bomb, and start all over again on the next floor down. The time kept shrinking under his fingers. Nightwing slid to a stop and kicked down the locked door, searching for the pipe bomb in the room. Once he'd pulled it apart and the timer had stopped, he took off running again, his chest heaving. Fourteen floors with barely two minutes between each, the time drastically dropping.

He wouldn't make it.

Nightwing calculated he'd have to abandon the endeavor on the eighth floor, if he was lucky, maybe the seventh; but the bottom of the building would blow out, nonetheless. He'd already commed Gordon to get everyone back in a two block radius, a massive evacuation around the towering glass structure. But if it fell- the damage would be devastating. He tried to think his way through this, but he knew that doing it alone wasn't an option.

Nightwing gasped through the smoke. His lungs had started burning five minutes ago. He didn't know how much more he could run blindly through the dark, tears in his eyes, the smoke biting through his mask.

"Batman- Have you found her-" he gasped.

"No!" he shouted gruffly, sprinting through the dark building.

"Forget her," Nightwing breathed.

"She's still here!" Batman snapped furiously.

"If she's still here, her only chance is us defusing these bombs!" Nightwing shouted, pressing his comm as he pulled the plug on another. _Thirteen._ He turned and ran towards the elevator. "Start on the first floor and stop them- if we don't stop these explosions, Selina as well as countless civilians will die!"

Batman stopped, staring straight ahead. He didn't know what to do, feeling the weight of his wedding ring on his finger under his heavy gauntlet.

"Now!" Nightwing shouted into his comm.

Batman burst into action, diving back down the elevator shaft, his cape flying out and stiffening to catch him as he landed on the rubble of the elevator.

Nightwing dropped down the shaft, his feet catching on the ledge of the twelfth floor. He yanked on the doors, letting out a cry of exhaustion as they gave way. He stumbled into the hall and fell, dragging himself to his feet before he'd even hit the ground. His boots pounded along the tile and he skidded to a stop, following his computer to the bomb, and tearing out the fuse.

"Heading down to twelve," he gasped into the comm.

 _Come on, Bruce..._

"Just finished four," Batman responded.

 _Selina, where are you?!_

Gordon sent his final squad car away, turning back to look at the burning building silhouetted in the dark sky, the top floors still alight, but contained for now.

 _Please, Batman…_

"Eleven."

"Five."

"Ten."

"Six."

"Nine," Nightwing fought his fatigue, defusing the bomb with fifteen seconds to spare. He ran back towards the elevator shaft.

"Seven," Batman responded, turning away from the inactive bomb.

"Go find Selina," Nightwing instructed. "I've got this one-" he landed on the eighth floor, the doors heavy as he forced them open and planted one foot on the tile.

The explosion ripped through the floor above him as Batman made it to the elevator.

" _Nightwing_!"

He saw his son falling as the heat hit, his grappling wire pulling taut and then snapping in the flames tearing down the elevator shaft.

Batman dove blindly, and the ceiling behind him collapsed in blazing debris, his cape bursting open like the wings of an avenging demon as he descended. Nightwing's horrified face was seemingly frozen before him, falling towards the jagged and wrecked elevator in half-time.

 _You won't make it_.

In a split second decision, Batman let his cape fall limp, and he dove.

Nightwing gasped as he stared up at the flames rushing downward. Batman's arms clamped around him. His head snapped back as they crashed into the debris of the broken elevator. Nightwing rolled into Batman's chest as his cape came up to protect them both from the heat of the blast.

His ears rang. Batman shouted something. The world was fuzzy and reddened by the blood running into his eyes. Movement- Batman hauling him to his feet, pushing him out into the lobby. Dust rained from the ceiling, and a rumbling thrummed in his ears and in his stomach- he could feel it in his bones, trembling under his boots.

" _Nightwing!_ " Batman shouted, shaking him violently back to consciousness.

"Bruce- we have to-"

A tremendous cracking cut him off, and Batman broke into a run for the doors, dragging Nightwing behind. They burst into the cold night, fire trucks screaming away down the street. Their boots pounded in unison over the concrete, but they couldn't outrun the sound- Nightwing looked over his shoulder. Glass and flames rained down as the building fell- so massive that it looked like a dream within a dream silhouetted against the moonlight- Batman yanked Nightwing to the side, sprinting down an alley.

They ran.

When the blast finally hit, the deafening, devastating roar rang in their ears. The force threw Batman and Nightwing forward onto the concrete. Nightwing didn't get back up.

Batman struggled to his knees and turned, looking into the dust rising in the desolation, the Joker's laughter echoing somewhere in the din the of silence on the Gotham streets.


	26. Selina

_**Change is coming.**_

 _ **Sometimes a little distraction is exactly what the grieving need. For Harley, putting aside her own heartache to take care of Damian was that distraction. For Dick- trying to stay alive. The Wayne Tower explosions challenged that a little more than he'd have liked.**_

 _ **In the wake of last night's events, Dick and Bruce are left in the dark about the Joker's motives. His actions are escalating and what's worse- Selina's missing. Too much change begins happening all at once, and the batfamily struggles to catch up.**_

Harley left Damian sound asleep in bed, voices downstairs drawing her out. She walked quietly in the early morning dark down the stairs, a light from the parlor shining across the smooth, gleaming marble floor at the foot of the staircase. No one spoke. It was eerily still, the garbled sounds of a television cutting through the silence like a silver blade.

Dick sat on the couch, his face in his hands and his back to the door as Bruce leaned against the mantelpiece. A reserved, crushing silence hung over the two of them.

"Seven dead," Bruce said quietly. "Two city blocks ruined. And _he_ -" his voice became quiet, his entire body rigid. He suddenly cried out in fury, his hand shooting out and sweeping the photographs off of the mantelpiece. Dick didn't move. Bruce breathed hard, returning his elbow to the mantel and covering his mouth.

Neither of them noticed Harley in the doorway, and she could sense the devastation that had caused the overcast tone in the room; she was terrified to know what had happened.

"And she… If she…" Bruce's voice trembled, his face hidden in his hand. Dick watched him quietly, his throat tight.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have- I should have been able to do that without help, you should have looked for her…"

 _Forget her._

Dick closed his eyes. _His_ words.

"Look for who?" Harley asked, stepping into the room. She looked at both of them, a feeling of dread in her gut. Dick looked over his shoulder; his left eye and his forehead under his hair was mottled with bruises and there was a cut at his hairline, taped shut. He looked away again, running his hand through his hair.

"Selina," he said quietly. "She- well…" Dick walked toward Harley, catching her arm and guiding her out into the hall. He stopped. "Joker. He wired every floor on Wayne Tower to blow. The top five did, and we stopped the rest, but not in time. One of the bottom floors blew out and the whole building collapsed- The Joker told Bruce that Selina was there. He asked him if he was bluffing or not, so she may not have been, but… A lot of people died, Harley. Good people." Dick looked down.

"No." Harley stepped back. "No." She shook her head. "She... No. He can't have." She looked at Dick, reaching out and gently touching his cheek. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a fall. Batman caught me, but we got pretty banged up." He scratched at the bandaging over his shoulder under his t-shirt, and then he took her hand and led her back into the parlor, sinking back onto the couch. She sat close to him, her hand still held tightly in his.

"You haven't been able to reach Selina?" Harley asked Bruce. "Did you try her phone? The tracker in her suit?" He didn't answer, still staring at the fire blankly. Dick bit his lip, watching his father.

"No," he finally said, glancing at them. He did a double take over Harley's shoulder, going white.

"Are you both okay?" Selina asked as she came into the room in a hurry. "I was… well I saw… what happened!?" She stopped when she saw Bruce's expression. "What's wrong?"

"You," he gasped, advancing across the room to her. Selina backed up in shock. He grabbed her shoulders. "Don't _ever_ do that," he snapped before kissing her furiously. "Don't ever disappear like that again." He kissed her again. "Don't ever do that."

"What- _Bruce_ -" Selina caught his face and pushed him back a bit. "What the _hell_ was that? What happened? Tell me," she watched him in alarm, tracing his lips with her finger. "It's okay. I'm fine."

"The Joker. He bombed Wayne Enterprises. We thought you were in the building. I..." He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

"I just went out, I needed to breathe-" she covered her mouth. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Bruce. I didn't know."

"Just _please_ let me know next time." He cupped her chin. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Bruce," she scrutinized his face, a hand on his chest. "But I need to talk to you-"

"-What the hell is he doing?!" Dick stood, pacing the floor. "There's no discernible connection between any of the Joker's actions- it's all chaos, and _not_ in the way it usually is."

"Pain," Harley said quietly. "He want's to cause pain. His goal is to see how far he can push you until you snap. He wants to break the Batman, destroy more completely than any physical wound ever could. And now he knows how to do it." She glanced up at them.

"He's _always_ gone after the people I love, this is nothing new," Bruce pointed out.

"You didn't have Selina then. And he's not targeting you." Harley took a deep breath, sitting up. "He wants to drive Dick past the point of insanity while you're forced to watch his demise." She winced.

"What- _me_!?" Dick cried, staring at her incredulously. Bruce watched her.

"What did he tell you?"

Harley bit her lip, looking down.

"I'd rather not," she said weakly.

"If he gave you _any_ information at all that could stop something like this from happening again, I _need_ you to tell me." Bruce sat down beside her on the sofa, looking at her earnestly.

"I think it would hurt more than it would help." Harley continued to stare at her lap. Bruce cupped a hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him.

"Please." Harley turned her head away.

"Well he... talked a lot, and at first my mouth was duct taped, so I couldn't really... but it didn't really matter what I said or did, anyway, he didn't want to be swayed from his goal." She took a deep breath, her foot tapping against the ground. "He told me that... that story about how his wife died, and..." she trailed off, hiding behind her hair. She couldn't meet Dick's eyes, and her face felt hot. "I guess what he wanted... he wanted revenge on you for stealing me away, so he- um- he wanted to do the same thing to you." She pinched her eyes closed, unable to continue. She decided to pretend Dick wasn't there, that he wasn't about to hear something that would crush him. "He wanted Dick to go through the same thing, to know the guilt of not being able to save his wife and daughter, he wanted him to find me dead there, to be consumed with the feeling that he couldn't save us," she said in a rush. "He- he wanted Haly because he knew I would never love him again, and he wanted Batman to live with the pain of his son losing everything and being broken by it. And he wanted Nightwing or Batman to kill him because then he wins. He destroys one of them so thoroughly that one of them finally corrupts themselves, and eventually, the _other_ , and for me to to die alone there thinking no one was-" she choked off, unable to continue. She brought her knees up into her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she hid her face.

Bruce was silent for a bit, and Dick sat down slowly in a chair. "He told you his motive. That's _good._ I mean-" Bruce glanced at Selina, who gave him a glare. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Harley. I'll be… Thank you." He smoothed her hair back with the air of a loving father, and then walked across the room to the door. Selina glanced between them and then followed.

Dick felt ill. He didn't know what to say, so he moved over to the couch and put his arms around Harley, holding her to his chest as he pressed his lips against the top of her head.

"I guess it's a good thing he didn't succeed then," he said quietly, his voice shaky. Dick bit his lip. _If this is what the Joker wants, then I'm not going to give it to him,_ he thought, steeling himself.

"He asked me if I thought you were coming, and I said yes, but I didn't know," she breathed. She stared into her lap, trying not to cry as her hands tightened around her legs. Those words hurt more than hearing that the Joker was trying to kill his family for him.

"Of course I was coming," Dick breathed, his voice cracking. Had she really lost faith in him?

"I thought you thought that I didn't love you, and that you were mad at me. And you'd gone to the circus, so I didn't know if you even knew I was gone," she started babbling, "and I didn't know if you had a way to find me even, and-" Her arms tightened around her legs as she sniffled. "I was just scared."

"Harley." Dick waited until she looked at him of her own accord. "I will _always_ find you. I'll always be there."

* * *

Selina watched Bruce pace the floor in the Batcave, lost in thought. The cave was a bit damp, and cold- she pulled her jacket tighter around her arms. She was content sitting on his desk, watching him, but something nagged at the back of her mind. Her thin brows knit worriedly, and she looked at him, twirling her wedding ring on her finger.

"Bruce," she said quietly. He didn't answer, still lost in thought. Her eyes roamed the cavernous 'room', two empty glass uniform cases beside Dick, Jason, and Tim's old Robin costumes, mounted behind the glass. She could see the trophy room just around a corner of rock. Dick's blue Nightwing uniform, bloodied and singed, was crumpled beside the medical table. Batman's cape and cowl was draped over a chair.

" _Bruce_ ," Selina said a little louder. When he turned, she spoke quickly. "I know you need to think to solve this problem but-" she stopped herself. _He does need to think. He can't be distracted. And with Haly's funeral tomorrow…_ "Never mind," she smiled smoothly, getting effortlessly off of the desk and walking towards the elevator.

"No Selina," Bruce called. He walked over to her, catching her hand. "I do need to solve this problem because I thought I lost you today." He tilted her chin up. "But I don't want to lose you by not being here for you either. What is it?"

"It's nothing," she insisted. "It can wait. You know I'll wait for you." She squeezed his hand in hers, smiling gently.

"I know it's not nothing," he countered. "I can tell when you're lying. You don't always have to wait." He kissed her nose. Selina laughed.

"You can't _always_ tell when I'm lying," she purred, a hand sliding up his shoulder to the back of his neck, where her fingers sifted through his dark hair. "If I recall, I got away with it plenty before we were together."

"That was before we were together," he countered, "now stop trying to distract me."

"Oh please, Batman," she smiled, watching him. "Were you _really_ that frightened tonight?" Selina asked him quietly.

"Of losing Dick? Yes. Of losing you?" He squeezed her hand. "Absolutely."

"I'm sorry," she breathed, her lips brushing his. Her pale green eyes flicked up to look at him from under sleepy dark lashes. Selina looked back down to his lips, pressing herself against him. "Let me make it up to you."

"Now I _know_ you're trying to distract me," he chuckled. "What are you so reluctant to tell me?"

"Why do I have to be distracting you?" she asked in frustration, her brow knitting. "We did lose our honeymoon. Maybe I'm just… excited," she shrugged, her hands creeping over his chest. He grabbed her hands.

"What don't you want to tell me?"

Selina's jaw tightened. "What don't you understand about what I just said?" she asked, trying to pull her hands away from his. She instead turned them around in his palms, lacing their fingers together as she kissed the corner of his lips. He sighed.

"Is it something you feel like you can't tell me? Bruce asked, sounding almost hurt.

"I told you, damn it, I don't _want_ to. It's not the right time. You keep secrets from me, what's one from you? As per usual, you can't handle not knowing," she pulled away from him a bit, but her hands remained in his.

"I really can't," he grinned, "so you might as well tell me."

"No, hypocrite," she turned away from him, crossing her arms and cocking a hip. "If you're going to be difficult, then so am I."

"Fine," he sighed, "but don't leave." He pulled her back to the computer and sat her on the desk. "So if you weren't getting blown up, where were you tonight?" he asked conversationally, sitting down in his chair.

"Around," she looked down at the desk, pushing buttons on the keyboard. Bruce looked up at her.

"Does it have anything to do with what you aren't telling me?" he guessed.

"It has everything to do with…" she narrowed her eyes, looking at him. "We could have been on a beach, right now," she sighed. "I had the _best_ bikini." Bruce groaned.

"We'll still go," he assured her. "It'll just be a little delayed."

"No we won't." She cocked her head at him. "Oh well. I got the wedding didn't I? That went unscathed for a while. What was I expecting, marrying the Batman and not having any trouble come with it?"

"I thought you were the trouble," Bruce defended.

"Oh please." She caught his hand and pulled him by the shirt towards her, his chair rolling across the stone. "I cause trouble if and when I want to. _You_ attract it." He tried to back up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, sliding onto his lap with her legs through the arms of the chair.

"Exactly." He grinned, brushing her bangs to the side. "That's why you're trouble."

"And what are you?" she asked, smiling as she hooked a thumb under his belt buckle.

"Lucky."

"I'm…" she trailed off, the words on the tip of her tongue. Selina looked up at him and then kissed him slowly, one hand at his belt and pulling him closer, the other grasping his face tightly. His hand cupped the back of her neck while the other pulled at her back, situating her on his lap. Selina kissed him more fervently, relieved to have dropped the subject. He didn't need one more thing to worry about. Bruce felt her nails dig into his cheek a bit. He broke away with a gasp.

"Now what were you about to tell me?" He smirked. Selina's jaw tightened, her teeth bared as she slipped her fingers into his jeans and dove forward, kissing him hungrily again. She wasn't strong enough to overpower him, but her other hand at the back of his head held his lips to hers with all her strength. Bruce moaned, his hand clutching at her back. He broke the kiss off, leaning his head back as he panted. "Damn it," he swore.

Selina grinned triumphantly against his lips and then left a trail of bite marks down his neck. She kissed his ear. "I told you. You just attract trouble." Pressing herself against him, she kissed where she'd bit him, closing her eyes.

"No," he shook his head, "I _love_ trouble." He kissed her gently. "Now what is so important to you that you won't tell me?" Selina stared at him, and then she looked down, shaking her head.

"I don't want this to add to your stress," she breathed, cupping his face with both of her hands. She stared into his eyes worriedly. "Promise me that you won't make a big deal out of it. And we can't tell anyone. Not now." Her lips met his again.

"Selina?" He watched her carefully. She exhaled against his lips gently.

"I know you said- I know we talked about- I mean four sons and a daughter is a lot already- Bruce, I'm pregnant." Selina's eyes widened a bit, and she covered her mouth as if it finally sank in when the words were said out loud. Bruce stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"Okay so I left Ivy up in the library," Jason called as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. "I didn't think you'd like her being down here. Harley Quinn and Catwoman have, so we could make a tango out of it, but maybe later. Did you know your building blew up?" he asked, looking at Bruce while his thumb pointed over his shoulder. "It's gone. So I did a patrol past Dick and Harley's house. They're not there. Is everything okay?" He blinked at Bruce and Selina. "Is this a bad time?"

"Yes," Bruce choked.

"No," Selina said, not looking at Jason as she stroked Bruce's cheek. She stood and walked past him towards the elevator. "Go ahead, Jason. I've missed you," she smiled over her shoulder at him. "The house isn't the same. Don't bother Damian when you come back upstairs, he's not feeling well. Don't stay out too long crime fighting."

The elevator doors closed, and Bruce still stared at the wall in silence. Jason snapped in front of his face.

"Hey, are you going to answer me? Primarily about the everything being okay thing, but a little about the tango thing, and I'm still a bit confused as to whether this is a bad time."

"Everything is fine, no, and _yes_ ," Bruce stood, looking more tightly wound than usual. "The evening was… well it wasn't exactly good. Minimal casualties, and only one that was…" he trailed off. "Dick will fill you in."

"Well fine then," Jason muttered. "I won't even make a crack about the 'Dick will fill you in thing'." He mock saluted before heading back to the elevator.


	27. All You've Ever Wanted

_**They seek solace in each other.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick are still grieving the loss of their daughter. It is ever-present, Harley's scars and Dick's guilt constant reminders of their pain. And with the funeral tomorrow… Neither one is sure of how to face the world anymore. They do the only thing they can do- search for comfort in each other, and find hardly enough to keep them alive.**_

 _ **Little do they know, however, that their daughter isn't dead. Instead, she was spirited away by the Joker, who's hidden her from the world and from her still grieving parents. The funeral is tomorrow, and perhaps they can move on with their lives, try again- unwittingly leaving their daughter behind.**_

"We could go back to the house," Harley mumbled, wrapping her arms across her chest. Dick flicked the light on in the bedroom they shared when they stayed at the Manor. She glanced up at him before glancing back down. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't want to tell you all that."

"I'm glad you did." Harley looked up in surprise. Dick watched her, his head cocked a bit. "I thought you trusted me more than that, though. But you just didn't want to hurt me. I understand." He looked down, smiling a little. Only the corner of his lips pulled up in a sad smile, and she was struck by how much she missed that _infuriating,_ beautiful, lopsided grin of his.

"I thought you would blame yourself more," she admitted.

"I already blame myself," he said quietly. "There's not much more damage you can do."

"I also thought you might try to do something stupid to protect me from you or something." She shrugged a little.

"I'm doing my best, Harley," he sighed, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms.

"I am too." She sat on the edge of the bed. "I just don't want to do it alone."

"Me neither." He watched her quietly, his blue eyes tired and emphasized by the bruise on his cheek.

Harley nodded. "Okay." She looked at her hands. "Okay," she repeated. "But can you tell me if you're going to go emotionally distant again? Just so I can… prepare."

"I will," Dick agreed. There was some silence, before he sighed deeply. "Harley, the funeral. It's-"

"-don't." Harley's voice cracked. "I know. Just… don't."

Dick stared at her for a moment and then nodded, wincing as he tried to pull his shirt off. "Harley, can you- I can't-" he sighed in frustration. She stood, crossing the room toward him. The bandages on his shoulder and his back were exposed when she pulled his shirt away. "Thanks," he breathed, wincing as he rolled his shoulder. Harley touched around the bandages, her fingers gentle.

"You could have been killed," she breathed.

 _You could have, too,_ he thought, his thumb tracing a scar on her arm. Dick bit his lip, watching her. "Just burns. Nothing that I won't bounce back from," he said quietly. Harley nodded weakly, stepping forward into his chest.

"Just be careful," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Dick closed his eyes, pressing his nose into her soft hair as his arms wound snugly around her waist. He kissed her forehead and when she looked up, his lips were scarcely an inch from hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered, closing the gap just enough that she could practically taste him on her lips.

"Me too." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently.

Dick sighed longingly into her kiss, moving to bite his lip but catching hers in his teeth. His arms wound tighter around her waist, his eyebrows knit in pain and passion as he kissed her with everything he had. _Don't hate me. Don't leave me. Don't blame me._

Harley wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him as she kissed him back forcefully. Dick's legs hit the edge of the desk. He dragged her closer, gasping as pain sang from his burned shoulder under her arm, but he didn't care. All he wanted was her. Dick tilted his head to kiss her better, his hand moving to grasp her waist, feeling the curve of her spine as she pressed against his chest. Harley pushed him down onto the desk, knocking a pencil holder aside as she tightened her legs at his waist. She ran her hands up, twisting her fingers in his hair as she moaned. All she wanted was more. More of the kiss, more of his hands on her, more of him. Her hands pulled at his hair. Dick breathed hard, dropping his head back against the desk, his eyes shut tight as he ignored the pain in the gash at his hairline. His grip was strong on her waist, and he lifted her up easily to lay on his chest, kissing her without hesitation, as if he could draw her breath straight from her lungs. He pulled her shirt up her waist, and she had to break away for a brief, panicked moment to allow him to pull her shirt over her head, and then his lips were back on hers.

Harley's hands trailed down his chest, tracing a pattern as she gasped for breath against his lips. She pushed herself up a little, kneeling around his waist. Her hair fell down around their faces as she stared at him. She closed her eyes, leaned back down, and kissed him as she yanked his sweatpants down.

He moaned into her kiss, his hands grasping her hips as his head slammed back on the desk. "I want you," he breathed, biting his lip as he gasped. "No- I _need_ you, Harley, I _need you_." Dick fixed dull blue eyes on her, empty of anything but a longing to be whole again. "I need you," he repeated, licking his lips as he pulled her close once more, kissing her furiously. Harley sat on his hips, her back arching over him.

"Well, I'm trying," she murmured, yanking his pants past his knees. "I don't see you _needing_ to help the situation." She unclasped her bra, tossing it aside where it landed on a lamp. She didn't want to talk; she didn't want to think. She didn't want comfort. What she wanted was to forget. To take and be distracted. She leaned back down to bite his lip.

Dick sat up, his hands sliding up her torso, feeling every curve, every scar, every arch or tightening muscle of her instinctual reactions at his touch until his hands cupped her face, and he kissed her slowly, his fingers only remaining there until she was kissing him back. Goosebumps rose on her skin as his hands trailed over her shoulders and down her back, his rugged, worn palms from years of acrobatics gripping her waist tightly. He stood, lifting her with ease, his lips still busy with hers. Harley wrapped her legs around his waist, holding herself against him. She broke away from his lips to kiss down his neck, listening to his breathing spike as she nipped his skin. Her hands tangled in his hair again as she pulled his face back to kiss her. Dick groaned, his breathing a gasping desperation past his lips. He fell against the wall weakly; he'd overestimated the strength in his burned arm, and underestimated the dizzying effects of her kiss. He kissed her back, his tongue guiding hers into his mouth as he kissed her desperately. He sank to the floor, suddenly pushing Harley back onto the cool wood. He kissed down her torso, pulling at her pants with his hands as his lips hesitated over the long, clean scar from the emergency C-section. His throat closed painfully, and he kissed the scar gently, moving to the stab wound in her side and continuing up from there, his lips soft on every scar that the Joker's blade had left behind. He kissed her shoulder, the faded wound jagged and mirroring his as he held himself above her. Dick looked up, so much pain in his eyes for a brief moment before he closed them and kissed her slowly.

Harley tilted her head up a little, her hands tugging gently at his hair. She moved one hand to cup his cheek and the other to his chest to feel his erratic heartbeat. She pulled at his bottom lip and smiled slightly as she felt his heartbeat jump.

She felt his hand on hers at his chest. "It's yours," he whispered against her lips, his eyes closed tightly. _It's broken._ "All I've wanted since I fell for you was for _you_ to have all you've ever wanted, and all I can give you is a broken heart." Dick kissed down her chest again, pulling her jeans off as he kissed the scar on her hip. His fingers brushed the one on her thigh as his hand trailed back up her legs.

"That's okay," Harley sighed, her hands tangling in his hair again. Her back arched at his touch on her skin, and she closed her eyes. "Mine is too. We can share a whole one."

Dick kissed over her heart, a hand sliding under her arched back to hold her against him. Harley cried out when he used it to roll over, bringing her to rest on his chest. Leaning up, Dick kissed along her jaw tenderly. One hand clutched at her back while the other moved up her leg. Harley smiled, her hands resting on his chest. She traced a finger feather light down his abs.

"And all I really want right now," Harley mused, her finger stopping. Her other hand lifted his chin up. "Is for you to make your move." Dick kissed her slowly, a hand tangling in her hair as he gripped her hip tightly.

* * *

He'd never been particularly good at singing.

" _Dashing through the snow,_

 _in a one horse open sleigh,_

 _over the fields we go,_

 _laughing all the way,_ "

Joker laughed loudly, pacing the floor with the baby in his arms. The little girl slept soundly. He smiled and continued to sing, off key, but as merry as can be.

" _Bells on bobtail ring,_

 _making spirits bright_

 _what fun it is to ride and sing_

 _a sleighing song tonight. Oh!_

 _Jingle bells,_

 _Batman smells,_

 _Robin laid an egg-_

That's you!" he laughed, poking the baby gently.

" _The Batmobile lost a wheel_

 _and of course_ I _got away_!"

The tiny, dusty room was brighter, the fire burning in the fireplace giving warmth and light. A broken, ramshackle pine branch stood in the corner with bits of glass and razor blades and wire on it. The colorful glass caught the light eerily, yet pleasantly. It was the best he could do.

"What should we do with you?" he asked, rocking her a little. Her tiny legs kicked, and and her arms waved as she woke up, staring up at him with a bemused look, her mouth opening slightly. "You have such a pretty smile. Doesn't she have a pretty smile?" Joker asked no one in particular.

There was a weak knock at his door.

"Come in!" he called merrily, tucking Haly's head against the crook of his arm. Nurse Martinez hesitantly pushed the door open, peeking in. She had just gotten off a shift and was still wearing her scrubs. She glanced at Haly before her eyes flicked up the the Joker's face. She flinched back slightly before reluctantly entering the room. "Good nurse, how lovely to see you. How was the hospital? Dreary and death-plagued as ever, my Darling?" he cooed, smoothing Haly's sparse hair on her little head. She started to fuss a little, kicking her legs.

"I did what you asked," she muttered. "A Jane Doe baby abandoned at the hospital didn't make it. I 'misplaced' her files, and no one will miss her. She doesn't look that much like Haly," she glanced at the baby, "but the Waynes shouldn't suspect a thing."

"As long as the basic details that you gave _him_ match, they'll be fine." Joker said distractedly, playing with Haly's tiny hand.

"It's out of my hands now, and she's been released to the Wayne family for the funeral preparations. I've done everything you've asked."

"Good," came his only reply. Joker laughed as Haly clenched her hands into tiny fists, starting to wail.

"My brother. How is he?" she asked him anxiously.

"Safer than you," he said darkly, making a bottle for Haly.

"She's only two days old you can't-" Martinez stepped forward a bit, pointing at Haly before recoiling at the look on the Joker's face. She hesitated before saying, "You need to support her head; she could suffocate."

"Oh. Thank you," he propped his elbow under her head. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, you need to be gentle with her," she said firmly. "Too much motion could result in Shaken Baby Syndrome. And be mindful of her head, baby's skulls are still forming. She was premature, so you really should take her to get checked by a doctor often. And she needs lots of sleep. Feed her, change her diaper, and let her sleep. Newborns need over sixteen hours of sleep a day and to be fed every two to three hours, and her diaper will need to be changed about that often too."

"That I can handle," he said confidently, smiling. The stitches in his cheek pulled. "Is that all?"

"Her skin will get flaky, but that's okay. Get baby lotion or rash powders if you need them," Martinez began ticking off on her fingers. "Sponge bathe when needed. You don't really need to water bathe for a while, and it's best to keep her bellybutton as dry as possible until the umbilical cord falls off. Burping, obviously. Some time spent on her stomach is recommended, although she won't like it. And make sure someone is always keeping an eye on her. Sanitation. Babies immune systems are weak, so make sure you keep everything clean." She glanced around the dirty room. "I would suggest reading up on all of this."

"I'll just use my library card," he laughed.

"I think that should cover the basics. Can I see my brother now?"

"Of course. Say hi to him for me," he pulled his gun, firing two shots into her chest. Haly screamed and cried at the loud noise, and the Joker waved the gun in the air before putting it on the dresser, smiling a little as he comforted her. "Shhhh, don't cry. She's with her brother now. See that's good! I did her a favor. She wanted to see her brother." Martinez gasped and choked, dying on the floor. Joker picked up the bottle and spun it in his hand before sitting down on the floor by the warm fire, quieting Haly with her bottle.

" _Jingle bells, Batman smells…"_


	28. The Pain of Losing a Child

_**Haly Martha Grayson.**_

 _ **Today the Waynes mourn the death of a family member who had become part of their lives in such a short time. She, like her mother, had come into their lives in the most unexpected way, and had been loved by them all. The Joker took her away from them, and that thought hangs heavy over everyone's heads on this day.**_

 _ **Unbeknownst to them, the Joker stole their daughter with the intention of pushing Dick and Harley further towards the edge, and raising their child as his own, and as they mourn her, she grows further and further away, nearly impossible to reach.**_

Dick straightened his tie in the mirror. Their bedroom was silent in the dark, the curtains drawn to block the glare on the snow. Harley moved around behind him in the bathroom, pulling her dress on. He moved aside to allow her to pull her damp hair up in the mirror. Dick watched her. Her cheeks were hollow, her lips pale, her eyes dull and reddened- and Dick watched her sweep blush over her cheeks, smooth lipstick over her lips, brighten her eyes with makeup and disguise the redness with a cover-up. She exhaled slowly as she put her glasses on. Dick looked down at the floor. Her makeup couldn't hide the pain in her eyes completely, and it stood out against her beauty like a police siren in the night.

Dick cleared his throat a bit. It'd been painfully silent since the moaning, the gasping; the crying had finally stopped. It had been harsh. It had hurt. It had been violent and agonizing and empty; they'd laid in silence afterward, neither one speaking. Dick never once shut his eyes, and Harley couldn't sleep for more than ten minutes before screaming herself awake in terror. Each time, Dick had calmed her back to sleep quietly, and each time, she'd woken up wailing again.

Walking back into the bedroom, Dick tore his tie off. He tossed it on the bed, unbuttoning his black shirt at the collar. He sat down on the bed, his head hung and his hands clasped with his elbows on his knees. Harley followed him, her steps soft on the hardwood floor, hugging herself tightly.

 _Why do we have to do this? Haven't we been through enough? Why must we endure this punishment?_ Dick closed his eyes against the tears. _What have either of us done to deserve this?_

A knock came at the door and Selina poked her head in. Dick looked up, and her eyebrows knitted at the sight of the bruise on the left side of his face and the cut taped up under his bangs.

"I… We'll be late. Come on," Selina whispered, taking Harley's hand. She hugged her tight, tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't know if I can do this," Harley whispered, her body stiff.

"I know. I can't… I won't make either of you. It will be short. Bruce isn't the most caring when it comes to hugs or gifts or giving gratitude… but he knows how to take care of the people he loves… in the most productive way possible. It will be short." Selina said, and Dick watched her. Harley nodded.

"Okay," she breathed. She instinctively reached back for Dick.

Dick stood, taking Harley's hand in his, his fingers cold. "We'll be down," he promised quietly, and Selina nodded, leaving them alone. Dick looked at Harley for a moment. He knew that this was an emotional breakdown waiting to happen, but maybe it was necessary.

"I can't do this alone." Harley looked down at their hands. "Don't leave me, okay?"

"I won't." Dick kissed her forehead.

Downstairs, Jason stood beside Ivy, one hand in his pocket. They were never really publically affectionate in front of the family yet, standing a bit away from each other. Ivy glanced at Barbara, and they looked away from each other irritably, red hair falling over opposite shoulders.

Tim leaned against the railing with his arm around Stephanie's shoulders, and Damian, wearing a freshly steamed suit, stroked Titus's head. Damian still didn't look well, pale and peaked, but he could at least stand. The dog stood nearly as tall as him, sitting calmly. Cassandra put a hand on Damian's shoulder, and he gave her a half smile before looking down. Bruce opened the door for Selina as Alfred pulled the car to the front.

"Are they coming?" he asked quietly, and Selina shrugged.

"I gave them a choice."

"Selina-"

She turned on him. "Did _you_ go to _Jason_ 's funeral!?"

"Bruce!" Jason mock gasped. "I'm offended!"

"You don't know the pain of losing a child," he snapped.

"Exactly," Selina glanced at him. "I think that that is-" She stopped when Dick and Harley began coming down the stairs. Wally sprinted out of the kitchen, sliding across the floor, and yapping up the stairs at them. Clark trotted out after him, both of the cats weaving between his legs. Dick patted Wally's head and pushed him away, walking out with Selina to the car. He and Harley got into the back seat, sitting closer to her. The rest of the family followed, getting into their cars. Harley squeezed Dick's hand tighter, staring dejectedly out the window and sniffling slightly as she tried not to cry.

"It's okay to cry," Dick whispered. He wanted her to let it out, but he also didn't want to be the only one; tears ran down his cheeks, his face calm and relaxed, yet he still cried.

"If I start, I don't think I'll stop," she breathed, glancing over at him. Dick shook his head.

"You won't," he agreed, and then covered his mouth with his hand, stifling a sob. His dark hair hung over his face. Harley tucked herself into his side, closing her eyes; she could already feel the tears starting. Bruce looked away, hating seeing his son in so much pain- and Selina looked down. Dick wrapped his arm over Harley's shoulders. Her hands grabbed his coat as she bawled into his chest, unable to say anything. Dick closed his eyes tight. It was a long, agonizingly quiet ride to the cemetery. Bruce parked the car along the edge of the cemetery, he glanced back at the two of them.

"We're here," Selina told them gently. Harley sat up, hiccuping her tears to a stop and wiping her eyes that were rimmed in red and smeared mascara. She looked out the window at the snowcovered ground and headstones. The scattered trees were bare and swayed ominously in the wind. Black coats peppered the sidewalk. Harley could recognize Ivy's red hair walking next to Jason, Lilly's familiar skip next to her parents, and Gordon with his hands in his pockets. Dick got out of the car, his fingers still wound with hers. He wiped his eyes and more tears fell in their place as they walked with the rest of the crowd. Dick looked straight forward, his face pale, and his features rigid as tears dripped off of his nose.

Harley walked beside him, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. The wind bit at her cheeks, and every now and again she'd sniffle. Eventually, everyone made it to the black awning. Dick and Harley obediently sat in the chairs under it. All three headstones that already bore the name Grayson fit beneath the awning, beside Dick's brother; the gaping hole. Harley couldn't bear to look at it; it was so small. Even worse was the tiny sized coffin that the priest stood before. Harley stared at her lap, unable to bear the thought of it being so close. Of her being so close. Of her daughter, who she'd never seen, who'd never had a chance. Barbara placed a small pack of tissues in her lap. Dick looked at Barbara, down at he and Harley's hands wound tightly together- anywhere but at his daughter. Her hand seemed small in his, a scar visible just under her cuff, white against her already pale skin. Her fingers were bare. His engagement ring- not there. The piece of string from the safety net? Missing. He hadn't had time to return her ring after the Joker had left it in their bedroom, and as for the net- neither one knew what the Joker had done with it. It had disappeared.

"…and we'll now say a prayer…" the priest was saying, but Dick had hardly heard him. He couldn't take it anymore. Beside Harley, Dick broke into silent sobs and bent his head down so that no one could see; he hid it as best he could, but his brothers could still see his shoulders slumped and trembling, his hand shaking in Harley's as he tried to swallow the pain and the tears and the crushing realization all at once. He held tighter to her hand, biting down on his lip to silence himself. Harley grabbed a tissue with her free hand, holding it up to her mouth as she tried to cry quietly. The priest was talking, but she couldn't hear. She squeezed her eyes closed, turning her body in toward Dick's as she wept. He wrapped an arm tightly over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and leaning his head against hers.

" _The wedding in two days, less than a week till Christmas, then… we're going to be parents." Harley leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder, turning so her nose nuzzled his neck. "We're going to be parents," she repeated, smiling._

 _Dick smiled back at her and stole a kiss from her lips before resting his lips against her shoulder. His hands worked out a knot in her back. "I'm nervous," he whispered against her skin._

Jason couldn't look at Dick anymore. He'd seen his brother in so much pain before- but never like this. He'd always been under the impression that Dick didn't cry, least of all in front of his entire family. Sure, a few times when it was just Bruce, or just Jason… but this was different. He didn't know how to help. Dick continued to sob with his head bent, hiding it from them. Tim watched him, his eyes wet, and Stephanie cried into his shoulder. Harley looked so broken beside him. They both were.

" _Me too," Harley admitted. "What if something goes wrong? What if the Antitoxin screws everything up? We don't even have a doctor anymore. What if I'm a bad mother? What if she doesn't like me?" she asked quietly._

" _Nothing is going to go wrong," he said, a bit forcefully. She could feel him tense up a bit, but then he relaxed and continued to massage her back. "And you're going to be an incredible mother. She'll love you. You're her_ mother _." Dick smiled, kissing behind her ear._

Damian stared straight at the ground, listening to the sounds of grieving around him. He wished he had his sketchbook, a pencil- anything to distract him from this. He'd rather be tortured. He'd rather have been stabbed than go through this. Cassandra stared out at the snowy expanse of cemetery around them from under the tent, lost in the silence and anguish.

" _You're right, this is your fault." Her voice was furious. "This is your fault if you're viewing it as a problem." She poked his chest. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't exactly sign up for this, but neither did I. I didn't plan on adding a baby onto the list of all the current complications in our life, but I accepted it, and hell, got excited about it. And you know what? I thought you had too."_

Dick stifled a sob and gasped shortly, the cold air burning his throat. _I'm so sorry Harley_. Selina cried quietly beside Bruce, shivering against his shoulder as he watched Dick and Harley. Bent together and sobbing, they seemed so disconnected from the rest of them. Bruce silently put a hand on Dick's shoulder. He wanted to convey everything that he felt- that they were _not_ alone. That everyone around them was there. Everyone was with them to help. He just wanted Harley and Dick to know that they still had a _family_.

" _I'm not saying give up Nightwing, or the cowl, or whatever it is you want. But Nightwing isn't your whole life. And that is not encouragement to worry excessively about me," she warned. "I'm fine with you being Nightwing, but not all the time. You can't just run off like you used to, every night, no backup, not a care in the world. Because I do care."_

Dick covered his face, choking on his own tears. He held Harley like he never wanted to let her go.

" _I should have known," she choked out, her voice thick with tears. "I was his psychologist I should have known he'd… that he'd-" She gave up, closing her eyes. "It was my fault. The turning from him, planning against him, not loving him, it's all my fault she's gone."_

He coughed a bit, begging for the service to end. Looking up and seeing the tiny coffin beside the rest of his family, Dick burst into tears that he couldn't hold it in anymore, weeping openly. He stroked Harley's arm under her coat, closing his eyes.

" _Nightwing isn't the one I said yes to marrying."_

Yet it wasn't Harleen Quinzel and Dick Grayson mourning their daughter.

It was Harley Quinn and Nightwing.

" _Do you? This is the first night Batman has left the city, don't you think Joker might be using that to his advantage?" she pressed. "The circus is a place you love, and he knows that. You shouldn't just run into it blind."_

Harley winced internally. It hurt because she'd had no idea how right she was. Instead she'd yelled it at Dick, pushing him away even more. She'd pushed both of them exactly where the Joker wanted them, angry and hurt.

" _You don't_ 'have _to go'," Harley insisted. "You_ have _to be Nightwing. The cops in this city aren't completely useless; they did a number on me a time or two, and they have a massive head start on you. Gordon can take care of this. You just want to be the one to handle it; you won't trust anyone else to do it." She sighed. "Sometimes you're just like Bruce."_

Harley hid her face in Dick's shoulder, her makeup completely ruined. Dick and Bruce had done nothing but try and help her and support her despite everything she'd done. It was her past that had come back to do this, not theirs. _If I'd never met him… then I'd never have met Dick_. Harley bawled harder that while her past may have cost her her daughter, it had gained her her fiance. Her heart felt like it was ripped in two by the confliction.

"It'll be okay," Dick choked, again swallowing his tears and quieting himself. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to reign himself back a bit as he held her. "It's okay."

" _Just hold on."_

Dick closed his eyes and then looked up at the tiny casket in front of them, his jaw clenched tight as he held Harley, still sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed her arm gently. She held tight to him, trying to control herself. She felt a tap on her shoulder and glanced up through her tears at Selina.

"Would you like to put a flower on her casket?" she asked the two of them, a crimson rose in her hand. Harley glanced around, realizing the service had stopped. Dick nodded and mopped the sleeve of his coat across his eyes, taking the rose from Selina.

"Thank you," he choked, looking down. He stepped forward and dropped the rose gently on the smooth surface, just as he had done at Harley's funeral all those months ago. He closed his eyes and looked down, holding Harley in his arms as he turned away. Harley moved with him, turning her face back into his shoulder. She was still crying, but the sobbing had stopped. Instead, she was filled with even emptier feeling.

" _A girl?" Harley slowly started to smile. Steph gasped, grasping Tim's arm, and Selina beamed._

" _Superman it was supposed to be a surprise!" Dick shouted, before running his hands through his hair. He grinned. "A girl!"_

" _A little girl," Barbara practically squealed._

" _Well, would you look at that Grandbat." Jason clapped Bruce on the shoulder. Bruce looked just as stunned as Dick._

" _We're having a girl!" Dick cried, suddenly grabbing Harley around the waist and twirling her around, still beaming proudly._


	29. Someday

_**It's almost over.**_

 _ **They've sat through their daughter's funeral, one of the hardest things that either of them have ever done, and they've come out alive. Brokenhearted, but alive. Even if they may not wish it. For all they know, their baby is dead.**_

 _ **In reality, the Joker has her. And he isn't about to stop there. Haly is his, but they're not completely destroyed as he wants them to be. As he needs them to be. So with this funeral he begins an ongoing blitzkrieg on the Wayne household.**_

Harley still clung to Dick's hand. Everyone was stopping to say things, but they all just blurred together. All sad 'I'm sorrys'. Alfred stopped in front of them.

"You two need to eat." Harley nodded obediently, following him. She didn't want to think. Dick walked beside her, his shoulder brushing hers. Harley suddenly froze in place, pulling Dick to a stop. Her mother's familiar form strode up to her, Barry half hidden behind her as Nicky stood off to the side watching her warily.

"Mom," Harley breathed. "What are you doing here?" Shannon glanced at Bruce, something like begrudging respect in her eyes.

"He told us. Don't even get to hear it from my own daughter," she muttered. Dick stepped in front of Harley a bit; his face darkened.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated her.

"Master Dick, Miss Harley," Alfred scolded their attitudes. "You must be her mother." He offered his hand to Shannon. She shook it.

"You wouldn't know it would you?" she asked. Damian stopped behind Harley, watching Nicky. "She never visits, or asks me to visit. And I look too young to be a grandma." She pulled out a cigarette. Harley sucked in a deep breath, turning away from her slightly. Alfred watched Shannon stiffly when she offered him a smoke.

"I'm dying for one," Jason reached over Alfred's shoulder, but Shannon took the pack away, tucking it into her coat. Jason stepped back distastefully and glanced at Dick.

"What. Are. You. Doing here?!" Dick reiterated, his fists clenching. He angrily rubbed away the tears spilling over his eyes, and then looked up again.

"She was my granddaughter," she snapped. "Or would have been," she corrected. Harley bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"That…" Harley couldn't continue.

"Although maybe this is a better alternative than getting her locked up in Arkham for the rest of her life like you did with Jenny." Harley winced.

"Hey!" Jason stepped forward, and Tim was holding Stephanie back. Nicky shot Damian an apologetic look, and Barry took a step back.

"What's going on?" Bruce asked, stepping up to the group. Selina was at his side, her arm looped through his.

"Oh hello," Shannon smiled. "Nothing. It's nothing." Bruce nodded curtly. "You know, I didn't know Harley's boyfriend was a Wayne."

"Does that matter?" Bruce asked drily.

"Oh no, no." She flicked the ashes off the butt of her cigarette.

"And they're engaged now," he added. Shannon frowned.

"You got engaged?" She looked back at Harley who nodded weakly. "Little late to shotgun it before the baby don't you think?" She took a drag from her cigarette.

"You have _no right_ to be here," Dick stepped forward, and Selina caught his shoulder. Dick inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. He looked at Shannon. "We're done here. We're…" He looked away, taking Harley's hand as he walked past her. Shannon looked like she was going to say something but decided better of it. Barry waved while Nicky scuffed his shoe against the ground, not looking at them. Jason and Ivy walked past them too, bumping into Shannon. Her cigarettes fell into the snow.

"Oh sorry," Jason fake winced, "maybe you should get them in your pocket better next time." He smirked as he and Ivy walked away. Tim pulled Steph along; she still looked murderous. Cass walked by with her hands in her pocket.

"Clearly this was a mistake," Bruce said. Selina glanced up at him.

"She was my granddaughter," Shannon muttered.

"And she was mine too," he told her darkly. "You'll understand if we don't invite you to Christmas," he added as he and Selina passed her. "Nicky," he flinched back, glancing between Damian and his father, "you're always welcome."

Dick was nearly to the car before he stopped, staring at the ground. Jason bumped into him, and Dick kissed Harley's head before turning around and walking back to Shannon and Barry. He bit his lip, staring at her for a moment.

"Thank you. You came, at least- and don't think this changes anything, you're still incredibly awful to your daughter, but…" he had to pause for a moment to wipe his eyes. "You did come. You're right. She _was_ your granddaughter, too." Dick took a deep breath, watching her. "I'm sorry. If you couldn't tell, I'm just emotionally unstable, and it's Christmastime, and I am _so sick_ of being angry with everyone."

"Apology accepted," Shannon told him, putting out her cigarette beneath her boot. Dick shook his head slowly.

"Okay then." He turned around and walked away, his hands in his pockets as he scuffed through the snow, watching the flakes fall over his shining shoes. He put his arm around Harley again.

"I doubt she even knew what her name was," she said, watching her mother sadly. Dick nodded a bit.

"She probably didn't. It's depressing," he agreed quietly, helping her into the car. She slid in, buckling her seatbelt before leaning her head against the window. Dick followed.

"Is it always going to hurt like this?"

"No. I don't think so." Dick's voice was soft. "Someday… Eventually… We'll be better. Things will get better." She turned back to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I just miss her so much," Harley whimpered.

"So do I," he held her close, his voice cracking. Bruce got in and started the car, pulling out of the cemetery behind Alfred. His throat felt constricted as he glanced in the rearview mirror at Dick and Harley. Selina reached over and grabbed his hand, blinking back the tears as she stared out the window.

Dick held Harley close as he unbuckled and slid into the middle seat beside her. "It's okay sweetheart," he assured her, kissing her cheek. "It'll be okay."

Bruce glanced into the rearview mirror at them. Selina took his hand as he pulled the car out of the cemetery, when another vehicle slammed into the side of theirs at full speed. Dick cried out as he and Bruce's side of the car crumpled inward and the car skidded with the deafening sound of metal crunching and tires squealing. Bruce threw himself over Selina, and Dick was thrown, unbuckled, over Harley and against the door.

Alfred skidded to a stop, letting out a string of profanities, and Jason threw his door open, running towards the smoldering cars just as a man in a clown mask tumbled out of the driver's seat, laughing.

"He's not finished with this family!" he screamed, and then grinned at Jason darkly before taking off running in the other direction, blood pouring from his hairline. An unmarked van swerved towards him, and he leapt through the side door, and just like that; he was gone as fast as he'd come, and his message was sent.

"Dick," Harley gasped. She struggled to undo her seatbelt. Once she got it unbuckled, she reached across the seat. She glanced back at her leg that had gotten pinned between the door and Selina's seat before reaching back over toward Dick; he'd rolled back across the seats after the initial impact. "Dick," she whimpered. He groaned, reaching up to touch the cut on the side of his head, blood running down over his neck.

"Harley- are you okay!?" Dick sat up, his head spinning and his ears ringing. He stroked her cheek and then looked at her leg. Selina cried out, kicking her door open as she hauled Bruce out of the car, unconscious, and Alfred ran over, skidding to his knees beside Bruce. Jason had leapt into the other vehicle, hoping in vain to pull it back. Tim, Damian, and Cassandra rushed towards the door on Harley's side, and Cassandra wedged a crowbar in it as Dick pushed back on the seat, trying to unpin Harley's leg. She cried out when she got free, and then Dick kicked the opposite door open, taking her into his arms and carrying her out.

Selina had been scraped a bit by the broken glass. She held Bruce's head in her lap, stroking his cheek and quietly begging him to open his eyes as he lay there, pale and bleeding from cuts on the left side of his face. Alfred had thrown his coat over Selina's shoulders and rolled up his sleeves, and Stephanie was calling the police.

"His coat protected most of his body from the glass but we'll need to dress the wounds on his face-" Alfred pushed back his sparse hair- "His arm is broken as well. I'll set it in the car- someone will have to wait to talk to the police when they arrive."

Jason helped him lift Bruce into the back of the other car. Barbara and Gordon agreed to wait for the police as Dick helped Harley sit down in the third car, sliding into the seat beside her.

"Is your leg- did you get cut? Are you okay?" he asked, frantically checking her over.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I don't think it broke, and it's mostly healed already. Are you okay?" She used her sleeve to wipe some of the blood off of his face.

"I'll be okay," he breathed. "Don't ruin your coat on me," he laughed weakly, and Jason got into the drivers seat. He followed Alfred down the road.

"I think it had a hole in it anyway," she said, wiggling her finger through a popped seam in the arm. She giggled, coming down off the adrenaline. Dick stared at her for a moment and then laughed again, rubbing his face. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"What… the hell just happened?" he asked, wincing as he took his suit jacket off and pressed it to his face.

"The Joker sent some guy to hit you, for no reason at all," Jason told them. Harley blinked, processing this.

"Any chance he didn't make it?" she asked hopefully.

"Are we ever that lucky?" Jason retorted. Harley grit her teeth before returning her attention to Dick.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She looked into his eyes. "Concussion? Any broken bones? Did you reopen any wounds?"

"Possible concussion. Is it bad if I'm dizzy _and_ fuzzy at the same time?" Dick squinted at her, smiling a little.

"Not if I'm still beautiful." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Both of you are beautiful," he kissed her and then kissed the air beside her head. "I'm seeing double."

"I can see that." Harley grabbed his face, steering it toward hers to kiss his. Dick kissed her slowly, leaning close to her and sighing deeply. Jason grimaced in the front seat.

"Jesus you two just came- you got hit by a murderous psychopath in a car coming out of your-" _your daughter's funeral._ "Come on, guys…" he shook his head, driving across the bridge out of Gotham.

"Oh go kiss your ginger," Harley muttered, blotting Dick's forehead with his jacket.

"You know I don't think I've used ginger," Jason mumbled.

"It is planty, and clever," Dick agreed.

"Clever, huh," Jason mused. "Well that explains why you didn't come up with it, doesn't it?"

"It explains why… _you_ didn't come up with it…" Dick mumbled, wincing and touching the side of his head, his dark hair sticky with blood. "Do I need stitches?"

"No but I think you need to lay down," Harley looked at him, smiling slightly, "if you think that _that's_ a comeback." Dick laughed a little and grinned at her, and her heart soared. It seemed like years since she'd seen him genuinely smile. Jason pulled the car into the garage.

"I could lay down," he agreed. Harley squinted at him.

"Is there a catch?"

"There's a catch," Jason agreed.

"What?" Dick looked between them. "There _isn't_ one."

"You _never_ just agree to lay down," Harley argued. "Especially after I was just in danger." She put a hand over his forehead. "This is worse than I thought." Jason snickered.

"I was just saying that I _could lie down._ Why is that a problem?" Dick asked, helping Harley out of the car. Jason got out and slammed the door. Dick walked through the garage with them. Alfred had already taken Bruce down to the Batcave for medical attention. "Actually, we should go make sure Bruce and Selina are alright."

" _Actually_ , you really should go lay down. And wash up." Harley nudged Dick toward the stairs. "Bruce will be fine. Besides, if I can convince you to relax, maybe I can convince Damian."

"Nope. Dam is _not_ going to calm down, and if Bruce is out, that means we're _in_ ," Dick pointed out, rubbing his eyes. "And I thought you're not supposed to lie down when you have a concussion?"

"Myth," Harley waved at Jason as he disappeared into the library. "You're actually supposed to lie down, not stand up and move around, and it's fine to sleep. So go." She pointed up the stairs. Dick shook his head.

"Not without you."

Dick pulled her into the parlor instead of up toward their room. He laid down on the couch and pulled Harley down gently to lay against his chest. There was still dry blood caked in his hair and in the cut on his head, as well as down the black collar of his shirt. He yawned. "I should probably get cleaned up. I'll just… take a quick nap and then take a shower…" he closed his eyes sleepily. Laying in the dim light, Dick didn't speak for a time, before he laughed quietly. "We… we just put our daughter to rest, and some Joker goon tried to murder us by slamming into our car, and… and we're laughing." Dick looked down. He laughed and stroked her cheek, his eyes sleepy and a bit vacant. "I told you it'd all be okay."

His smile faded, and he closed his eyes again, his hand falling to his chest as he drifted off. His face suddenly looked so serene, despite the blood splattered along his cheekbone and near his eyes. Harley rested her chin on his chest, smiling up at him. She knew she wasn't going to be able to stay asleep and didn't want to wake him with her nightmares, so instead she watched him.

She reached up and brushed his hair to the side, mindful of his wounds. Watching his gentle breathing, she trailed her thumb along his jaw.

"It'll be okay," Harley murmured, lifting his hand and kissing it. She carefully got up to get a first aid kit and some towels to clean his wounds. "It'll all be okay."


	30. The Bright Side

_**Back at the Manor:**_

 _ **Harley and Dick's vehicle was hit by another, driven by a Joker goon in an attempt to kill them again, with the ominous message that he isn't through with the Wayne family. Bruce was hurt, but no one else was severely injured.**_

 _ **In fact, something may have been rattled loose in Dick's head. Concussed and tired, he drifts off- and certain things begin coming to light. The Joker is torturing the family. He's torturing him. But there's a different endgame in mind.**_

" _So if your endgame is Bruce, why me? Is it- two birds with one stone?"_

 _Dick leaned forward. He couldn't tell where he was, everything outside the circle of light where he stood was dark and empty. The red streak on his Nightwing uniform seemed to glow in the darkness surrounding him, but his mask was nowhere to be found. The Joker's voice seemed to whisper near his ear, and he turned, finding no one._

" _Of course. It's always been him. Why would I bother myself with an ex girlfriend and a replacement?"_

 _Dick frowned. "Well why call me a replacement if you don't care about her? If she's a toy?"_

" _Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"_

 _The Joker. Name unknown, rumored backstory: failing comedian with a pregnant wife gets mixed up in something he shouldn't have, losing his wife and child, and then falling into a vat of toxic waste to make him into the 'Clown Prince of Crime'. Diagnosed with dozens of different mental illnesses, whether correctly or incorrectly, no one could be sure; from Antisocial Personality Disorder to Depression, to Schizophrenia, Psychopathy, and Narcissism. Murder rate nearly untraceable, estimated well into the hundreds._

" _You. You're mentally ill. It doesn't matter what you do and how you do it, because there's no reason_ to _do it. You need help."_

 _The Joker was silent. Dick gasped as images flashed in the light before him, like computer screens._

" _All this time, you've just been gunning for Batman. Literally and figuratively…" He lifted a hand unsurely and sifted through some of the images. Crime scenes, flashes of moments in time that he'd forgotten about, details highlighted and marked as important, and as he touched the unimportant ones, they disappeared. "This is a map."_

" _Very good," Joker purred, walking around him. Dick watched him for a moment, sleek and suave as ever, and then he returned his attention to the screens. "Now pay attention." One thin, white hand reached up and tapped an image and they were whisked off, standing at the scene in a matter of seconds. Dick looked around._

" _This is… Gotham Theatre. Carrie… You and Hatter have been planning this since your team up, haven't you? This… siege on the Batman family."_

" _Ten points," Joker yawned. "That was obvious."_

" _You wanted to break us. From the beginning. That's what Harley said, you wanted to kill her, take our daughter, drive me insane and thus break Batman, but… it was more than that. From your initial escape- Barbara-"_

" _-yes." Joker grinned. "Think it through, Bird Boy."_

" _With Barbara hurt you knew how I'd act, getting clingy again, driving a rift between me and Harley. And then the constant attacks on civilians- civilians that had come into contact with all of us merely for a few hours at a time- just pushing harder. Jenny, and Carrie- Everything since your escape was to chip away at us- thus chipping away at_ him _\- and then you just stopped. Here." Dick looked around the theater._

"Very _good," Joker grinned, clapping quietly._

" _You fell silent after Carrie went insane. Without the Hatter's constant control, what else could have happened? She lost it, right here, and Batman got to watch his youngest, and arguably most level headed son get his heart broken for the first time. Just like I did."_

" _Well, Harley-Darling's little death stunts weren't part of_ my _plan, but they did work nicely. That's what gave me the idea, really. Batman was falling apart watching_ you _fall apart." Joker pocketed his hands, looking around the theater._

" _You gave us a reprieve, to lull us into a false sense of confidence." Dick continued. "The wedding. Everything went perfect."_

" _Lovely ceremony, by the way, many a tear shed in joy," Joker laughed._

" _You let us feel happy, and then you took her," Dick breathed._

" _Yes, yes, I kidnapped her, and then everyone came crashing back to Gotham. Some things were just too perfect, by the way. I couldn't script all of it. Sure, crushing the current Robin with the loss of his elderly girlfriend, and torturing you with the loss of your fiancee was my idea of fun, but Red Robin coming running back from the Titans, further distancing himself from them? Do you have_ any _idea how much trouble it's caused that he's always in Gotham and never heading his team? Or that leafy green whore, coming back and swooping Red Hood off his feet, carrying him away when his family needed him most? Do you know how_ guilty _he feels?_ Twice _he's missed something vital, and if he'd have been there, it could have gone a different way. Or the ruined honeymoon. Ohhh, Miss Kitty seems so nonchalant about it, but the truth is, she is_ deeply _wounded. Very chalant. She and Batsy aren't even a week into their married life, and already they're having some major problems, maybe even second thoughts?" Dick stared at him, horrified, as the Joker grinned. "Sure, some things were planned, but some things you just can't write. I_ love _it when a plan comes together."_

" _And now you're taking up your ongoing blitzkrieg again. Wayne Tower. The car crash…" Joker smiled like an approving father. Dick looked down. "So what's the final blow? You've broken us, and you're unrelenting; what will you do to finally shatter us to pieces? I may break, but Batman won't."_

" _Please. When you fall, and no one catches you, Batman won't be able to hold his head up high enough to see the gun to it."_

" _I won't let you." Dick's jaw tightened._

" _Boy," Joker grabbed his face, staring him in the eyes, "When I take her from you, and you hit the ground without a net, you'll be on my side. You won't be a hero anymore, and it will be son against father." Joker sounded like he was stating a fact, simple and calm, and he released Dick to step back. Dick looked down at his feet where Bruce lay in a bloody heap, the Bat Symbol on his chest torn to pieces, and the silver dagger in Dick's hands._

* * *

"Fours?"

"Go fish," Damian taunted.

"Listen here you little-"

"Master Jason," Alfred scolded, his voice sounded like it was across the room. Dick rolled his head to the side, blinking his eyes open.

"Listen here _you_ ," Jason corrected lamely. "I know you have a four. I saw you draw it."

"Are you cheating?" Harley asked quietly. "I didn't think you could cheat at Go Fish. That's why we started playing this." She was leaning against the couch Dick was on, her head inches from his, but she hadn't noticed he was awake yet.

"It's not my fault you're all bad at poker," Jason argued in a whisper. "And it's not my fault Tim and Steph quit playing. How was I cheating? Was Mister Coma flashing me your numbers over-" he was gesturing to Dick when he saw he was awake. "Well welcome back Briar Rose," he said louder. Harley turned to face Dick; she set her cards down.

"Did we wake you?" she asked apologetically, studying him as he shook his head with a small smile. He looked better with some of the blood cleaned up and his cuts neatly bandaged, but he still looked a mess. His shirt was ruined, his hair was still sticky with blood, and his short nap hadn't done much to make his eyes look less tired. "Sorry, we were trying to be quiet."

"Alfred was reffing," Jason added. "Ten points for every smack to the back of the head."

"Todd is winning," Damian muttered. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders with a water bottle at his side and a half eaten bowl of soup by his box of tissues.

"What time is it?" Dick asked quietly, yawning. Despite it, he felt fully alert.

"Evening," Harley admitted. "Everyone moved in here when _someone_ ," she glared at Jason, "got kicked out of the Batcave."

"That was not my fault," Jason defended. "I was just trying to let him know there were options."

"There was a discussion about Bruce's arm," Harley updated Dick. "He didn't like the idea of Ivy healing it for him, then Selina told him he wasn't going out with a broken arm-"

"-Suddenly getting a shot from my girlfriend didn't seem like a bad idea."

"Shut up Jay." Harley threw a card at him, and it smacked him on the nose. "Selina told Bruce he still wouldn't be going out, so you missed lot's of fun. Jason got everyone shunned back up here when he tried to take sides. _Both_ sides."

"I think Selina ended up winning though." Jason took the card Harley had thrown and used it to complete a match. "Her and Batsy went upstairs a while ago."

"I need to talk to him," Dick said calmly, standing up and walking towards the door. Harley jumped up and followed him. She pulled him to a stop in the hall.

"Are you okay though?" She checked his bandages. "How does your head feel? You _were_ just in a car accident."

"I feel… better than ever," he smiled a little, glancing over his shoulder as if he'd just heard someone. Dick returned his gaze to her and smiled. "I just need to talk."

"About what?" Harley reached up and touched his smile with the tip of her finger.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it, Darling." Dick said quietly, kissing her hand and walking up the stairs. Harley's brow furrowed as she watched him go. She wanted nothing more than to follow him, but she didn't want to pry. He was already smiling more- so was she- and she didn't want to ruin it. She watched him for a second more before she headed slowly back into the parlor.

Dick knocked on Bruce's door. "Are you both decent?" he called, gripping the doorknob. "I'm coming in…" He pushed the door open. Bruce was propped upright on the bed by a pile of pillows, his arm across his chest in a sling. Selina was sitting crosslegged at the edge of the bed. They looked like they'd been in the middle of a conversation. "Sorry for interrupting, Bossman," Dick saluted. "I'd like to offer my services tonight, since you're bedridden and weak."

"I am not-" Bruce objected but was cut off by Selina.

" _Thank you_ , Dick." She glared at Bruce.

"Yeah… I forgot to add whipped at the end of my last sentence. Harley and I will go out, since nobody trusts Jason, Damian is sick, and Tim _really_ ought to get back to the Titans. I'd imagine they kinda hate him as leader for never being there to, you know, _lead_." Dick watched Bruce. "And we could use a night out."

"Are you sure the two of you are up for that?" Bruce asked. Even Selina looked doubtful.

"It's been a long day for you two," she said, "I could always-"

"-No." Bruce glared at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Please." Dick held up a hand. "I am _sure_ that we can handle it. We need it, actually. It would be a really _really_ welcome change of pace." He looked between them. "I'm not asking, either. Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Selina assured him. "Just stressed is all."

"Well…" Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know things are stressful lately, but we can't let that break us. Things'll work out. We just have to look at the bright side. You guys are married, and you should be happy. When all of this blows over, you _have_ to take a honeymoon, okay? Promise."

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, studying him.

"I'm fine. Just promise me that you'll treat Selina different than the rest of us. She's different, and she's special. Don't do this whole 'Dark Knight' persona with her." Dick pursed his lips, and then nodded as he went out into the hall. When he bumped into Tim, he caught his arm.

"And you. Go back to the Titans and make things right."

"What?!" Tim asked confusedly. "No, I… how did you know about that?!"

"Come back on Christmas Eve, but tonight- fix things." Dick stared at him earnestly, and Tim nodded slowly. Stephanie's hand tightened in his, pulling him along down the hall, leaving Dick alone.

"I don't believe in premonition dreams," Dick mumbled, glancing down the hall.

" _You of all people don't believe?"_ Joker seemed to whisper in his ear. " _The hero who banged a sorceress. Ecnedicnioc naht erom saw maerd eht, yob."_

"Shut up," he hissed, and then walked back down to the parlor, assuring himself that the voices were just a side effect from the concussion.

"Jason. Come here, let me see you for a sec," he asked, but it seemed less like a request when he pulled him up out of his seat and dragged him into the hall.

"Hey- what-" Jason yanked his arm away from Dick.

"-it's not your fault. None of us have anyone to blame but the Joker. It's not your fault that you weren't there. Don't blame yourself, focus on the stuff that's important. Ivy is back and she really loves you, Jay. Okay? You've gotta look at the bright side." He smiled, a hand on his brother's shoulder. Jason stared at him incredulously. Hours ago, he'd driven his brother home from his child's funeral. And he was _smiling._

"You're freaking me out," Jason told him, making the sign of the cross with his fingers.

"Come _on,_ Jay," Dick rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, you- _we all_ have a lot to be thankful for."

"And I'm just asking you to drink some holy water."

"Please," Dick scoffed and then turned away, walking back into the parlor. "Harley," he helped her stand. "we're on the clock tonight."

"Us?" she asked.

"Watch out," Jason whispered as he walked past. "I don't think that's Dick anymore. He's being possessed. Christo." He waggled his fingers at Dick like he was casting a spell. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, us. If Bruce is taking the night off, someone has to be in the field. I figured you'd want to get back on the horse."

"I'll go." Damian stood up.

"No." Harley turned on him. "You're going to bed. You didn't nap when Dick did, and I warned you."

"You two shouldn't be out on your own," he protested.

"Jason can be on call," Harley countered.

"What?" Jason cried.

"We'll be _fine_ ," Dick insisted, taking her hand.

"Good," Jason mumbled, "because I'm taking Ivy to the Botanical Gardens, so you can deal with her if you call me in." Harley rolled her eyes.

"Okay, but first you're eating," she told Dick. "And you." She glared at Damian.

"I have my soup," he snapped. Dick shrugged, pulling her out of the parlor and across the foyer to the kitchen.

"I'll eat something, but I'm not hungry."

"You're never hungry," Harley muttered, "unless it's to avoid work."

"That… is partly true." He threw together a sandwich and ate it hastily, downing a water bottle. "Is that better? Can we go now?"

"Just remember you can't go swimming for at least forty-five minutes," she told him, grinning. Dick smiled back and then grabbed her hand, pulling her away to the library.


	31. Show Me What You've Got

_**It's a catatonic euphoria.**_

 _ **Harley and Dick have just put their daughter to rest, and the Joker announced that he wasn't about to let them live peaceably. After a dream making sense of recent happenings, Dick was compelled to take over Bruce's patrol due to his broken arm, and to prevent any further damage between he and Selina.**_

 _ **Dick and Harley set off into the night to work the Batman's patrol shift, and it's as if their masks separate them from the grief of their secret identities. Out here, they haven't lost a child; out here, it's all fun and games.**_

"Harley," Dick sighed, twirling his mask in his hands, "let's go."

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" she called. "I'm a girl, I can't decide what to wear, I don't want to hear about it." Dick leaned against the desk. "Are these really what I wore before?" she yelled around the corner.

"Half the city could have been robbed by the time you figure out what shoes to wear, or whatever…" Dick shouted back. He turned around and pulled up the crime log for the evening, keeping track of every exchange made over the police radios.

"Okay, you gain like a billion pounds and not rethink your wardrobe," she countered. "And have hormones," she added. "That's probably another thing…" she trailed off. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Well while you decide how to look best while crime fighting, here are the crimes that have happened so far tonight: three muggings, one count of rape, a string of small bank robberies, a few holdups… You know, then there are the standard car thieves, home invasions, things like that. The bank robberies may be worth looking into," he pondered.

"Okay, okay," Harley sighed, coming around the corner still tying up her left pigtail. "But why did no one tell me how completely tacky the pigtails look?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Dick grinned.

"Because they don't look tacky. They look _hot_." He laughed, putting his mask on. Harley snorted.

"Sure. But was this always this uncomfortable?" She twisted around a little. "What was I thinking on leather with gymnastics? I would wear the other one, but there is no way I am painting my face." She pursed her lips, pulling at the bottom of her corset. He tossed her a sleek black coat to put on.

"We'll have to get you a new one," Nightwing smiled, cocking his head a bit. "Leather and gymnastics is a no-go, but you _do_ look fantastic." Harley laughed.

"Well thank you fiancee, but I'm going out in this outfit not staying in." She winked.

"You never had _any_ trouble mixing work and play before," Nightwing pointed out, walking towards his motorcycle. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"See that's where you're wrong." Harley smirked. "It was all play, I just made you _work_ for it." She trailed her hand across his chest as she walked past him, swaying her hips. Nightwing grinned and followed her.

"You want to drive?" he asked, stopping beside the bike.

"Afraid I might _distract_ you again?" she asked. Nightwing laughed.

"Not at all. Now do you want to drive or not?" he asked, reaching around her to scan his thumb on the bike, and it roared to life. Nightwing bit his lip as he pulled his glove back on.

"That depends," Harley grinned mischievously, "on whether or not you're going to be a backseat driver." She suddenly leaned forward and kissed him, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth. "Because then you can stay behind while I drive," she murmured, her body close to his. She grabbed her helmet from behind him, stepping away and pulling it on before getting on the motorcycle. "You coming?"

Nightwing laughed and got on the back, and wrapped his arms tight around her waist.

"So where we heading?" Harley turned her head to look back at him. He smiled over her shoulder at her.

"The bank on Fifth and Harrison. It got robbed a couple of hours ago."

"We're going where the robbers already finished?" she asked.

"Gordon agreed to wait for us to give us a quick brief of the case."

"Awesome." Harley revved the engine as she turned to face forward again; she paused. "I did warn you that it was Jason who taught me to drive a motorcycle right?" She smirked, peeling out. Nightwing's arms tightened around her waist in surprise, and she heard him laugh. Harley sped out of the cave, smiling to herself. When she made it into the city, she slowed down a little, but still wove her way through traffic. She braked beside Gordon's police cruiser. She put down the kickstand, pulling off her helmet with a big grin.

"Good evening, Commissioner."

"I saw a dozen traffic violations in about two blocks," he told her.

"Put them on my record," Harley laughed.

Nightwing's hair stuck in every direction, the lenses of his mask wide, a smile plastered across his face. "We're um… here to get the info on the bank robberies," he stuttered, giggling like a middle school kid.

"Don't look so smiley," Gordon told them.

"So what do you got?" Harley walked over as he pulled his notes out.

"This is the third robbery tonight." He started flipping through his notepad when Harley stopped him.

"Wait. The first bank was SN?" she asked, looking at his notes. "Was the other one Gotham West?"

"Yeah, how did you-"

"-Oh come on!" Harley laughed. "You don't know where they're going to hit next?" She looked between the two of them. "Do you really not know?"

Nightwing stared at her blankly, trying to smooth his messy hair down. Gordon tapped a foot impatiently. "Would you care to share with the rest of us?" He gave Nightwing a quizzical look, and the boy held his hands up innocently.

"Oh come on coppers. It's only the most common bank robbing strategy _in_ Gotham. I've done it, and I sure as hell wasn't the first, I think it was started back in Falcone's day, and I think even Jason considered doing it." She grinned. "Let me just bask in the glory of outsmarting the police for a moment." Gordon shot her a look. "Okay, okay. The method is to rob the three little banks, here, SN, and West, because they're in a triangle and most importantly, three separate precincts. Then the hope is, while the police are all tied up with those three, you hit the crown jewel right in the center, Gotham National. It's a fifty fifty shot of it working really." She shrugged. "The police can either be totally swamped, or out and ready to swarm at the drop of a hat. In my experience, it was the latter."

"That's because the GCPD knows their stuff," Nightwing grinned, holding up a hand to high-five Gordon. He ignored it.

"So we head to Gotham National before they get there, and wait in cover."

"If my costume change took as long as he was complaining it did, you may want to hurry. Ooo! Call in backup!" Harley giggled. "I've always wanted to say that." Gordon ignored her tone.

"I'll get officers on scene. Although with the way you drive, you may be there first."

"I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment." Harley pulled her helmet back on. Nightwing shrugged as she got on the motorcycle, and he grinned at the Commissioner.

"Isn't she perfect?" he laughed, and then grabbed her waist as she tore down the street. Nightwing wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pressed his lips against her neck under her helmet, smiling against her skin. He couldn't hear her giggle over the wind.

She slowed the bike and drove it into the alley by the bank. She parked the bike by a dumpster, getting off.

"Show me what you got, pretty boy." She smirked, taking her helmet off and setting it on the seat. Nightwing got off, smiling.

"Right here? In the street?" he joked. "That's a little risque," laughing, Nightwing pushed her until her back was pressed to the wall and kissed her slowly. When he stepped back, he smiled and bit his lip. "Come on. We've got a job to do." The alarm on the bank sounded.

"Oh look, you're letting them get away. Some hero," she teased. "Do I need to show you how it's done?" Nightwing laughed and glanced down the side of the building. He glanced up, and then grinned.

"Try to keep up," he quipped, and then fired a grappling hook at the roof of the building, shooting upward to stop on the ledge of a corner office. He pried out the already half open window, diving into the building. He hurried through the offices, listening to the voices. He crept down the stairs toward the lobby floor. Harley burst in the front doors.

"Batman's out there!" She pointed back out the doors. "Get down!" The robbers stared at her in confusion. She made it to the first one, grabbed his gun, and punched him in the face before diving behind the teller counter, laughing.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?!" one of them cried, all of them focusing their guns on where she'd disappeared. Nightwing couldn't help it; he burst into laughter, leaning against the pillars near the door to the lobby. One man turned in surprise and fired blindly, but Nightwing had already vanished.

"She's something, isn't she?" he called, laughing as he crept along the wall in the dark. The robbers hadn't even made it to the safes yet. Nightwing glanced across the room and caught Harley's eye. _Three more. Two: your side. Count of three,_ he mouthed, and then grinned at her, holding up three fingers.

"Three!" Harley cried, flipping over the counter and pistol whipping the robber nearest to her with the gun she still held. Nightwing slid out and took the knees out from the one closest to him, kicking the gun across the floor. When the man hit the ground beside him, Nightwing swung a leg up and hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious. Jackknifing to his feet, he grinned when he saw that Harley had also incapacitated the third robber. "Don't worry," Harley grinned, "I got him."

" _God_ I love you," he laughed, beaming.

"Don't praise God, sweetie. He didn't do anything." She laughed as police sirens approached outside. Nightwing crossed the lobby and took her into his arms, kissing her passionately as the police came in through the doors. Nightwing grinned against her lips and then grabbed her hand, disappearing up the stairs before the officers could say a word.

"Don't worry officers," she called behind her, "he'll take me into custody." She giggled as she heard them yelling in confusion, trying to gather themselves. She let Nightwing pull her along back through the offices. "Are you going to leave me to find my own means again? Or you going to take me with you this time?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, still smiling.

"A protege needs to know how to work when their mentor isn't there," he quipped, dropping down to the street from the window with her in his arms. He grinned at her.

"Mentor my ass," she snorted. "And I don't have any fun gadgets. You run around with just a cork gun and see how well you do." She poked him in the chest.

"Well, we'll have to change that. You're part of the family, now, you'll get gadgets. And _you_ -" he poked her back, walking back toward the bike- "Are still barely a superhero. Level one at best. Bart Allen has more field experience than you. That's a scary thought."

"As a hero maybe, but I know how criminals work," she countered. "That's a big bonus."

"That doesn't count," Nightwing laughed, flipping open the minicomputer on his wrist. "Let's see… we've got a couple of break-ins. Are you still in the mood for robberies? There was a couple of home invasions- a mugging in progress on Twelfth Street…"

"I don't know. What do you suggest, _mentor_?" She smiled.

"Oh, here's something. Break in at 'The Right Start'. Sounds like some fitness thing. Okay, let's go. Corner of Carson and Cliff." Nightwing started the bike again.

"Are you driving this time?" she asked, leaning against the bike. "I might want to see how you can handle this."

That stupid, gorgeous smile broke across his face again, and Nightwing bit his lip. "You know, I am a _terrible_ show off," he got on the bike, revving the engine. He raised a dark eyebrow at her behind his mask, grinning. Harley chuckled, trailing her hand over his shoulder as she moved to sit behind him.

"It's not showing off when I already know what you've got." She kissed his neck as she straddled the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. Nightwing turned his head to kiss her over his shoulder, and then sped away down the street.

It was as if their masks held their emotions at bay- the mourning, the agonizing days before- all seemed like a dream. Untouchable and unable to touch them. In the dark of Gotham, they were allowed to smile. They could laugh and play their games before they had to take their masks off and face their other life again. Nightwing turned a corner. "I'm not impressed," Harley murmured next to his ear, her voice carrying through the wind. Nightwing laughed.

"I'm not going to put you in any danger. You know that," he smirked, stopping in front of the building. He cut off the bike.

"You're right," Harley pulled her arms away, leaning back, "you probably have a concussion. I shouldn't even be letting you drive let alone fight crime. Point to the right me so I know you're still not seeing double," she told him, bobbing her head. Nightwing was still staring across the street.

"It's… a baby store. The silent alarm was triggered cuz somebody's robbing a baby store," he said quietly. _So much for escaping our other life._ Harley grabbed his arm.

"Why would someone rob a baby store?" Harley breathed. It all came crashing back; she took in a ragged breath to calm herself. "How long ago was the alarm triggered?"

"Are you okay?" Nightwing asked quietly. "About eight minutes."

"I'm fine. Let's go." She stood up, waiting for him. Nightwing nodded. He crossed the street with her. They peered in through the smashed glass door.

The small store was dark, a few shelving units knocked over. Nightwing's boots crunched in the glass as he stepped over the threshold. The air was cold, and Harley pulled the leather jacket over her corset tighter around her waist. Nightwing's breath caught the light in a silvery cloud from the lips of his silhouette in the dark. He switched to the night vision on his mask.

"This place is too much of a mess to tell whether or not any of the inventory is missing, not until the owner gets here. But… Thermal scans indicate no one else is in the building but us. The entirety of the cash register was emptied…" Nightwing walked back around the counter, stepping carefully over the scattered baby supplies. "The police should be here any moment." Glancing up, he cocked his head. Nightwing stared at the security camera in the corner. "That's state of the art. A little high tech for a small business. Well hidden- the thief might not have even seen it. I mean, nobody would be expecting a small business to be able to afford cameras at all, let alone one that is that nice…" Nightwing babbled on as he pulled out his minicomputer. "Now _that_ I can hack…" He smirked, typing in a few commands. Harley walked closer to him and looked over his shoulder. He smiled. "And done. The video feed should be…" he trailed off, fast forwarding it a bit to the correct time. Harley nudged him, smiling.

They watched the video, and the window smashed inward as a man in a long coat and a hat swept through the store, knocking over shelving units as he hurried to get to the register. Nightwing narrowed his eyes, watching another man come in, identically dressed, picking things up off of the ground.

"They're… ok, so some of the inventory was taken. Why the _hell_ would anyone rob a… a baby store?" Nightwing looked at her.

"Look," Harley pointed at the video, "formula, diapers, clothes even. They're getting _practical_ baby stuff."

"There's two of them. We may be looking for a couple, down on their luck- we can check the hospitals around here, see if there were any newborns delivered to couples…" Nightwing paused, and then shook his head. "They wouldn't live _too_ close by so as not to be suspected, but they'd have to be able to get away with what they stole-" Nightwing walked to the front of the store again. "Not enough snow on the streets or the sidewalks to show whether they had a getaway car or not. The video feed doesn't show any headlights, though. This looks like an amateur job." Harley followed him out.

"I don't know. That's a lot of stuff. You wouldn't be able to carry it far without being noticed." She glanced around. "Maybe we should check traffic reports. Stolen vehicles or speeding. If they are amateurs, they hopefully messed up along the way."

"Hopefully," Nightwing agreed. "Let's go."

"Where to, mentor man?" Harley mock saluted. Nightwing smiled a little, stepping out of the store. Red and blue flashed over his face, and he held his hand up against the bright headlights. "Nightwing-" Harley stepped forward in alarm, but he held up a hand.

"It's the Commissioner's vehicle."

Gordon stepped out, looking at the store front.

"Perp was already gone. But there's footage, should be an easy catch."

"Good. God, I feel like I'm working with one of my ex-cops. Grayson. He was a good kid." Commissioner Gordon smirked. Nightwing laughed. "Okay, well… I think we can wrap it up here, if you want to look at a murder we've hit a dead end on. We can't get any warrants or do any searches until the morning, and I doubt anything will get underway until after Christmas," Gordon handed him a file, glancing at Harley Quinn at his side. He smiled a little.

"Sure, no problem, Gordon," he flipped the file open.

"You know, I think I like having you on our side," Gordon nodded at Harley.

"Harles," Nightwing breathed. "Look."

Inside the file was a photograph of the murder victim. Nurse Olivia Martinez.


	32. No More Surprises

_**It's not fun and games anymore.**_

 _ **With Batman out of commission, Harley Quinn and Nightwing stepped up to the plate, ready to jump into the field. Anything to take their mind off of their daughter. It was fun, playing in the dark, pretending it was like it had been before.**_

 _ **Until the case began to hit a little close to home. Investigating the murder of the head nurse who helped deliver Haly, they're thrown back into their dark and unforgiving lives once again.**_

"Two gunshots to the chest," Harley read off the file as they walked up to the small house. "She would have bled out, so under the bridge in the homeless camp where they found her wasn't where she was killed… obviously," she muttered, flipping through the pages again. "Still in her scrubs, didn't show up for work." She was repeating all of this, having read the file before they got on the motorcycle. "I just don't get it," she glanced up at Nightwing as the stopped outside of Nurse Martinez's front door, " _why_ was she killed and dumped? What did she ever do?"

"I don't know. I'd say muggings happen all the time, but nothing was stolen, and I'd say that the fact that it's _her_ was a coincidence, but Batman would backhand me. So we're just back to: what's the motive?" Nightwing pondered quietly, looking up at the sky, heavy with clouds. "You don't think…" He cleared his throat. "You think _this_ is where she was killed?" He looked up at the small house. Harley looked up at the house.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "No one's been in yet. Officers on the case can't get a warrant to search it until morning, so we're going to be the first." She glanced back at the file. "They _did_ try to get ahold of her brother, he lives here too," she glanced back up, "nothing."

"Alright, well, breaking and entering it is," Nightwing smiled, kneeling by the door and picking the lock.

"And I thought _I_ was the criminal," Harley teased.

"Hey, when I was in the circus, I always wanted to be a magician," he grinned as the lock popped open. "Right next to Charles Blondin, Harry Houdini was my inspiration." Nightwing stood, opening the door for her. "Where do you think I got my showmanship?"

"I thought that was _all_ you." Harley smirked, walking into the dark house.

"Alright, time for the detective work." He looked around. "It's freezing in here…" Harley flicked the lights on, glancing at him.

"There is snow outside, and you're complaining about it being cold in here?"

"I know. Have you ever _lived_ someplace that's the temperature of this building?" he looked around as he scanned the area. "I did. One time, I had this really really awful landlord, and I mean, in Gotham that's not hard to come by, but I mean- she was a _cheap. Skate._ And me and the other-"

"-I get it," Harley cut him off. "No smart person would be living like this." She walked through to the dining room. "So far no grisly murder scene."

"Not much of anything actually," Nightwing followed her through the house. "Wait a second- closed pocket doors, always a good sign-" he grinned over his shoulder as he pulled the doors open and stepped into the dark room. "Whoa… shit, amateur hacker alert," he breathed. The far wall was lined with three large computer screens, the neatly organized desks covered in a thin layer of dust. Nightwing leaned down, examining the wide range of technology.

"Nurse Martinez doesn't strike me as the tech savvy sort. Or a gamer," Harley added. "Did the file say what her brother did for a living? I bet this is his." She ran her finger through the layer of dust. "The rest of the house is clean. So where is the brother?" She glanced around the room before at Nightwing. "Which do you want? The computer or the rest of the house?"

"The computer," Nightwing carefully opened a drawer, pulling out an ID card. "I think brother is a safe guess. Wayne Tech IT identification card… The dust has been here for at least a week. But Martinez has only been dead for about twenty-four hours. Makes sense, older brother- younger sister- 'don't touch my stuff'... He must have been gone for a while, but she isn't going to touch his stuff, even if he would die if he saw the state of the dust- no tech-respecting human being would ever let dust settle like this on equipment this expensive- especially not him, look at this desk, he's got to have OCD. If not… well then he's _really_ meticulous, look his pens are labeled-" Nightwing glanced over his shoulder, just realizing that Harley had left the room. He frowned. "That's not very nice!" he called.

"Just let me know if you can't figure out how to work the mouse!" Harley yelled back. "I know you've probably forgotten how to work a computer with me around."

"Oh please!" Nightwing called back, laughing. He turned the system on, and she heard him laugh. "I've been around, but this is a gorgeous set up," he giggled, covering his mouth. "This could rival the Batcave."

"Turn the computer on, _not_ yourself!" she laughed from somewhere in the house. Nightwing glanced over his shoulder, and then turned back to the screens.

"I can't promise anything," he called. "Just in case you want to take advantage of that…" he examined the desk. "Okay, password," he muttered, looking around.

"Are you in yet?" Harley called, her voice swelling as she walked between rooms. Nightwing's fingers paused over the keys, and he laughed.

"Damn it, Harles, you're killing me here," he shouted back, pulling out his minicomputer and running a decryption.

"I'm just saying; you've lost your _touch_ ," her voice was more muffled.

"Okay, with you around, I apparently _can't_ focus to work a computer, you win," he laughed as the decryption finished and filled in the password. He clapped. "Alright, we're in." Harley walked back into the room looking at a file.

"I found these in her room." She held up a piece of paper. "An unfiled missing person report on her brother," she glanced at it again, "dated December twelfth. And a hospital medical file."

"Okay. The medical file, what is it?" he asked, scanning the computer quickly with his minicomputer. Nightwing frowned a bit.

"A... ," Harley skimmed the content, "a Jane Doe baby. Abandoned at the hospital- December twenty-second. Died. The same day. She was premature." She glanced up at Nightwing. " _Why_ is this here?"

"No idea." His voice was quiet, and he looked down, fighting the emptiness creeping at his heart again. "Um… hey. Well you're a bright shiny penny that doesn't belong, aren't you? I think I've got something here. Some _heavy_ security… Might take me a minute to break through." Harley set the file down, looking over his shoulder as he worked.

"Dang," she muttered, "he is good at what he does."

"Yeah, this is _really_ complex," Nightwing breathed, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Stop it you're distracting me again," he smirked.

"I haven't done anything!" Harley defended.

"Yeah well, your outfit isn't helping," he grinned, leaning back in the chair. "I said this was gonna take a minute, and you're hovering over me with those damn cute pigtails in my face."

"What are we? Young lovers?" She nudged him. "Oh wait." She giggled before stopping. "No wait. I've seen this somewhere." She studied the screen.

"Seen what, this situation or the-" Nightwing sat up, looking at the screen. "Yeah… yeah you should have seen this before."

"What? I don't remember it." She glanced back at him.

"It's… the Batcave. I mean, it's the coding from the Batcave. The one that was stopping the trace- do you remember the tracer I put on the Joker about a little over a week ago? This… this is what's been jamming the signal," he breathed, leaning forward. "Okay. I'll just…" Nightwing began typing something out on the keyboard.

" _This_ … he has been blocking the signal? What the hell is going on here?" she breathed. Nightwing shook his head, biting his lip.

"I have… _no_ idea." His eyes narrowed behind his mask, and he pressed enter. "The tracer is still online."

"Did you reactivate it?"

"Yeah. I stopped the program that was jamming the signal. We should be able to follow it right to him, whether he has it or not, we don't know, but… it's reactivated, yeah." He ran his hands through his hair.

"He kept it for a reason. It has to be somewhere important, somewhere he doesn't want us to be yet." She looked at the screens. "I linked your computer to the frequency for when he _did_ activate it, so we should be able to see-" she paused when she saw the location the tracker was signaling from. "That's the warehouse I took Batman to. The one Joker pushed me out the window of." Nightwing winced a little bit.

"Of course. Question is, what the _hell_ do the Martinez siblings have to do with it!? I mean, he must have hired her brother because of the tracer, but _why_ didn't he just destroy the tracer in the first place? If he knew it was there, why was it encrypted? Why did he do _that_? And why would he kill the nurse? Theres so many…" Nightwing sighed. "We might want to call Batman." After a pause, he shook his head. "No. We'll case the area, and then inform them of the tracer. No action." Harley frowned, her brow furrowing.

"Maybe we should let _someone_ know where we're going. This is the Joker. He obviously has a plan that we're stumbling in the middle of, and I don't like the sound of that. I do... I, uh, do know the territory, but maybe we should at least leave a message at the cave."

"Right." Nightwing pressed his comm. "Nightwing to Cave. Harley and I have a lead on a possible location… could be the Joker. Last civilian seen, Commissioner Gordon, last known location: 5054 St. James Street, Midtown Gotham. Destination-" he glanced at the computer- "Downtown Gotham. 246 Caesar Boulevard. The warehouse that Harley was pushed out of. We're headed there now." He deactivated the comm. "Let's go."

Nightwing led the way out of the house and mounted the motorcycle, starting it. Harley hesitated for a moment before reaching into one of her belt pockets. She pulled out her silver acrobat necklace, clasping it around her neck. She pointed threateningly at Nightwing.

"Do not abuse this privilege," she warned, pulling her helmet on and sitting down behind him.

"Yes Ma'am." He smiled and nodded in agreement, tearing down the street in the direction of the tracer.

"It's not 'ma'am'," Harley told him, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist. "I'm not married yet."

"You will be. Mrs. Grayson," he grinned over his shoulder at her, the bike leaping forward in a burst of speed.

"I said _yet._ Now watch the road." She smacked his shoulder. Nightwing smirked and reached over his shoulder, flipping the visor of her mask up before kissing her slowly, keeping his balance expertly shooting down the center line of the road. Harley pushed his face back forward. "You got mad at me last time I 'distracted' you while driving, so focus up."

"It's not hard when it's me in control," he smiled, laughing a little. She felt his abs tighten with the action. "It's only when you catch me off guard that I stumble. No surprises."

"You know I'm full of surprises." She kissed his neck below his hairline. "I'm not sorry about that, but maybe a little about not getting to see you in control more." Her laugh tickled the back of his neck. He smiled, but it faded as they pulled into the street, the dark warehouse looming over them.

"Yeah... No more surprises," he repeated, and she could hear the wary edge in his voice.


	33. I Can't Believe It

_**Dick and Harley are headed into danger.**_

 _ **And there's not much Bruce can do about it. The two commed in about a lead on their homicide-missing persons case that the Commissioner had them working on, and they haven't checked in since. With the Joker out there preying on them, who's to say that this isn't exactly what he wanted?**_

 _ **In reality, he wants them broken. He wants them scared and alone, broken by the loss of their daughter. He hadn't accounted for the fact that they may be resilient. He hadn't thought that they'd ever be out, looking for him, and turning the tables. And they'd never accounted for this.**_

The Batcave was dark, Bruce's footsteps echoing in the high stone ceilings, riddled with stalactites silhouetted in the glow of the Batcomputer as he booted it up.

 _Reduced to sneaking downstairs to check on my son in secret..._ Bruce chuckled. _That's what you get for tying the knot._

His smirk faded when he saw the pending transmission from Nightwing's comm. He pressed play, listening carefully. When it ended, he yanked his shirt off, pulling the door of the display case open. He pulled his cowl down. The elevator chimed as it opened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Selina demanded, stepping out with her arms crossed.

"Dick and Harley may be about to confront the Joker. I'm not about to let them go in alone." His voice was steadfast, and he pulled his Batsuit on, adjusting the heavy bulletproof sleeve over his broken arm.

"You're injured. You aren't going out there." Selina caught his uninjured arm, looking up at him.

"I have to. No one else can." Bruce looked in her eyes, begging her to let go without a fight.

" _Yes_ someone else _can_ ," Selina cried. "It's not just you. And... you know what? I could go." She stepped back. "Maybe I should go suit up right now, so you can see how it feels knowing someone _shouldn't_ go out."

Bruce bit his tongue to keep from shouting. "Selina, he's my son."

"And you're my husband. And there is another kid to think about," she pleaded with him. Bruce looked toward the Batcomputer.

"You're asking me to choose. What if something happens to him?" Bruce looked at her.

"I'm not asking you to choose. I'm just begging you to consider your options."

"Fine." Bruce nodded curtly, and then turned to the computer, pushing a button. "Batcave to Nightwing and Quinn."

"Batcave! Didn't I tell you to take the night off?" Nightwing answered.

"Yes, you did," Selina answered.

"We're heading in now. Gordon asked us to investigate a murder, which led us to the victim's house. Her brother has been missing for nearly a week, and on his computer we found the signal blocking the tracer that I planted on the Joker a week or so ago. We followed it here." Nightwing led the way toward the dark building.

"Don't worry, B-man," Harley added, "we're being careful."

"Good," Selina breathed. "Nightwing, I'm blaming you if Bruce has to go out with a broken arm."

"Right," Nightwing laughed. "Got it." He scanned the building and then glanced at Harley. "So. Best course of action? How do we go in?" Harley considered their options.

"Do we want to stick together or split up?"

Nightwing hesitated and bit his lip. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. Scans indicate no large heat signatures, he may not even be here, so get in, and get out. See what we can find. If this is where he's been holed up, he could come back any minute." Nightwing looked at her. "I'll head in the back. Be careful." He kissed her quickly and headed around the building.

Harley sighed before going straight to the front door. It opened easily but creaked loudly. It was dark inside, the only light coming from a streetlight outside. Harley pulled out a flashlight, clicking it on and shining around her as she walked.

"So Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, how has married life been treating you?" she asked. The beam of her flashlight caught dancing dust motes in it as she ran it across some crates. Everything was dusty except for a scuffed clean path on the floor. She followed it slowly, shining her light around every corner.

"You're pretty inquisitive," Bruce said, ignoring her questioning. Selina hit his shoulder.

"We're fine," she smiled a little, watching him. The feed from Nightwing's mask was visible on the screen as he scanned his area.

"Why so defensive?" Harley smiled. "I was just making small talk. It's dark and creepy here, and I'm talkative." Nightwing chuckled over the comms.

"Nothing here so far. Second floor is clean, as far as I can tell. Heading up to the third floor, Harles, if you wanna pass me and go upstairs."

"Yup." Harley skipped up the stairs, waving at Nightwing as her light passed over him. She went all the way to the top, trusting Nightwing to search the levels below. The top floor was a lot less cluttered, but there were still clear indents in the dust where people had walked. She continued to follow them, shuddering as she passed the window the Joker had pushed her out of. "There's a room up here," she told them as her light hit a door. "Office maybe?"

"Check it out. I haven't found anything, but the tracer is definitely here," Nightwing responded, finishing his scan of the third floor.

"Be careful," Batman urged.

"Yes sir," Harley mumbled. She pushed the door open, glancing around. "This place is a mess." Harley wrinkled her nose. The Joker's room was still unorganized chaos and broken furniture. While the fire was burning down, there was still a lamp on, so she clicked her flashlight off and put it away as she scanned the room. "I think I see the tracker." She walked forward to the dresser, reaching toward the tracer resting on top. Her foot kicked the pulled out drawer, and she glanced down at a whimpering noise. Haly squirmed in her blankets, waking up. "Oh my God!" Harley gasped, covering her mouth and stumbling backward.

"What?" Nightwing asked.

"Oh my God," she repeated, her voice thick with tears. She knelt down by Haly. "Dick, come here… I just…. Dick," she breathed; she smoothed a hand over Haly's hair.

"Okay, I'm coming to you-" Nightwing turned and gasped as the prongs of a taser hit him in the chest. He fell backwards and the Joker pinned him down with it, lifting the taser over his head and bringing it down in Nightwing's chest again. He screamed before the Joker ripped his mask off, leaning down towards him.

"How did you get here!?" he screeched. "How did you find me?! Are there others!?"

Dick gasped and pressed his lips together tight.

"Answer me!" Joker screamed, tasing him again. Dick howled in pain.

"Harley get _out of here_!" he stuttered into his comm. Joker's eyes went wide in fury, and he ripped Dick's comm out of his ear, getting up and running both of his hands through his hair in a panic. He paced back for a moment.

"No, no, no, _no-_ " Joker cried, racing up the stairs two at a time. Dick rolled over and stumbled to his feet, picking his comm and mask up.

"Harley! _Run!_ " There was the sound of splintering wood from upstairs before Joker's scream of frustration at where Harley had smashed the boarded up window.

"I'm out," she panted into the comm. "Get free and meet me by the bike. Then we're talking about how I need a grappling hook… after… other things."

"No, don't worry about me, just go-" he choked. Harley could see the Joker's face in the window above her, before bullets bit the concrete at her feet. Nightwing burst out the front door and leapt onto the bike, starting it and making sure one of Harley's arms was wrapped firmly around his waist before he took off down the street. Bullets ricocheted off of the buildings beside them, until they were out of the Joker's range. Nightwing shook his head quickly, his body still trembling from the shocks.

"Dick," Harley's voice was a whisper over the wind, "pull over."

"Harley-" he shuddered violently again, pulling the bike to the side of the dark, snow covered street with some effort. He cut the bike's engine, pinching his eyes closed as another wave of pain burst from his chest. "We need to get back to the Batcave."

"Are both of you alright?" Bruce demanded into the comms.

"Are you okay? Harley rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine," he stuttered, taking a deep breath. "We have to go." Dick started the bike again without so much as a glance over his shoulder. Haly cried at the loud noise, and he froze. There was a long silence, and he finally cut the bike off, sitting up as he stared straight forward. "H-Harley?"

"You know, I managed to jump out a window without waking her up," Harley laughed breathlessly, her arms shaking slightly as she held Haly.

"She… what? How?" Nightwing was too afraid to turn around. Too shocked. He looked down at his hands. "Is it… her?"

"He took her," Harley breathed, her voice cracking. Haly cried louder, and she bounced her softly. "He took her. That Jane Doe baby, Nurse Martinez, everything was so… he took her." Everything had been a ploy. Everything. The people Joker and Hatter mind controlled, Batman being distracted, even the possibility of her getting away. He'd even had back ups in place for when Hatter's control broke; the acting mayor still pressuring for her arrest, and Nurse Martinez to take Haly when Dr. Canley was taken to Arkham. Harley couldn't believe how they'd missed it, that he'd taken Haly. She kissed Haly's forehead. "Shh, it's okay."

"Haly?" he whispered, getting off of the bike. He stared at Harley and the baby, still shocked and numb.

"Dick- she's…" Harley rested her nose against Haly's forehead as she sobbed. "Days. He's had her for days… She's- she's our baby. Our baby."

"Our baby…" Dick repeated numbly, a grin breaking across his face and hot tears stinging his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Harley and Haly. The baby squirmed between them, screaming. Harley laughed.

"Maybe she's hungry. I don't know the last time she ate. Maybe we shouldn't take the motorcycle. Bruce? I think we need a car," Harley rambled.

"Selina is almost to your location. She wouldn't let me drive with a broken arm; she'll be there soon. Dick, is it…"

"Yes," he laughed, kissing Harley's head.

"It's her. I can't believe it's really her." Harley smiled up at him, her eyes still watering. Nightwing watched her, still grinning numbly.

"But… how? _Why?_ " he asked, kneeling beside them. "Hello, Sweetheart." He laughed, biting his lip.

"This is your daddy," Harley cooed. Haly seemed to pause at her voice. "He broke everything of yours, so you have nowhere to sleep." Nightwing laughed harder, tears spilling over his mask.

"She'll sleep with us," he breathed, smoothing her little tuft of dark hair.

"I am never letting go of you again," Harley told her. Haly blinked up at her, her blue eyes still wet as she slowly calmed down. Dick rested his head against Harley's shoulder, smiling as he closed his eyes.

"I can't believe it."

"She looks like you," Harley breathed, rubbing her thumb along Haly's blankets, tucking them closer around the baby in the cold. Dick nodded, grinning again as Selina pulled the car to a stop beside them.

"You go. I'll take the bike back," Dick urged, opening the car door for Harley.

"I better see your headlight right behind us the whole way, or I will stop this car and come get you," she warned, kissing his cheek before getting in with Haly still nestled in her arms. Selina glanced at her with a smile.

Dick mounted the motorcycle again. He couldn't believe what had happened. Nurse Martinez had been working for the Joker the whole time. Against her will or not, they couldn't be sure, but Dick didn't care at the moment. Their baby… Haly was alive. And she had returned to her family. Dick couldn't imagine what his family would say, or what they would think. They would be relieved, of course. He sped down the street after the car, a grin breaking across his face.

"This is incredible," Selina laughed, beaming. She glanced at Harley, her slender fingers tugging Haly's blanket away from her face a bit. "Oh God, Harley, she's beautiful. She's incredible!" Selina covered her mouth, turning back to the road. "Thank God. Everything will be okay now. Everything is okay!" She laughed, and to Harley's surprise, wiped tears away from her eyes. Seeing Harley's expression, Selina waved a hand dismissively. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit… emotional is all. Been feeling that way for a couple of weeks." She laughed. "Everything is okay now," Selina repeated, smiling at Harley. Haly was heavy in her arms, reaching one tiny hand out to clutch at Harley's corset. She could still see the headlight of Dick's motorcycle in the rearview mirror as they crossed the bridge out of the city, heading back towards the Manor.

"You know," Harley grinned, " _I_ was a bit emotional once." Harley raised an eyebrow at Selina. She laughed.

"That's why everything is okay now," she burst into sobs, still smiling. Selina wiped her eyes. "I'm pregnant- but Bruce and I couldn't tell anyone- not with you and Dick so… so…" She laughed, clearing her throat. "But it's okay, now," she covered her mouth, smiling. "I don't mean for that to sound- I'm _so happy_ that Haly is… I'm sorry," she breathed, taking Harley's hand and squeezing it.

"Me too." Harley smiled down at Haly. "And congratulations."

"At least you know that she'll have someone to play with," Selina smiled, turning to go up the drive to Wayne Manor.

"So am I supposed to know yet? Or do I keep quiet?" Harley watched Haly sleepily close her eyes.

"We'll keep it quiet for now. Let's focus on Haly," she smiled lovingly at Harley and her daughter, stopping the car in the garage. Dick had broken off to take his motorcycle to the Batcave, where Bruce was probably checking over his taser wounds. Harley followed Selina inside.

"Master Damian," Alfred called once they reached the parlor, "if that is you trying to sneak out again." He stepped out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel.

"Hi Alfred." Harley waved the best she could. Alfred dropped the towel, rushing towards them.

"I… My goodness, Miss Harley-" he laughed, smiling down at Haly. Damian came out on the steps.

"I'm still up here, Alfred," he shouted irritably as he came down the stairs. "I'm not going anywhere, thanks to _Father's_ rules-" he stopped when he saw Harley, his mouth hanging open. Bruce and Dick came out of the library, now dressed in civilian clothes. Dick grinned, walking toward Harley, and Bruce ran a hand through his hair.

"Wow," Damian breathed, momentarily dropping his cold persona as he came down the stairs towards her. "She… she's alive?"

"That's the general consensus so far," Harley laughed, smiling at Dick as he came over.

"I'll take her if you want to change your clothes," Dick held his arms out for Haly, smiling gently at Harley. "It's okay," he assured her.

"I know," Harley sighed, reluctantly snuggling Haly into Dick's arms.

"Trust me..." Jason said, walking through the front door and catching sight of all of them, " _everyone_ will be here. Come on guys! What are you all doing here?" Ivy walked in behind him. "You two were supposed to be bed ridden," he gestured at Damian and Bruce, "you're old," he waved at Alfred, "and you two are supposed to be on patrol," he glared at Harley and Dick. "Did you two even go out? Sure _you_ look like it, but he's in normal clothes holding a baby." He crossed his arms before what he said sank in. "He's holding a baby?!"

Ivy squealed and moved closer to look at Haly. She flailed a tiny arm, yawning as she did. Dick beamed proudly. Harley still stood by his side, unable to leave them.

"The Joker didn't kill her. He _stole_ her. And we got her back," he said quietly. Jason moved over to see her.

"She's so... squishy," he whispered. Ivy smacked him. "What?! She is." Haly hiccuped a sob before she started screaming.

"Look what you did," Damian accused Jason.

"Hey!" Jason cried, matching volume with the baby.

"It is not Master Todd's fault," Alfred scolded. "I will prepare her a bottle, and we can wash and change her while she is still fussy, then I am teaching you how to swaddle her properly," he warned Dick before heading into the kitchen. Haly kicked in his arms, still screaming. Dick bounced her a little, humming soothingly. He shot a glare at Jason.

"Don't shout."

Cass appeared at the top of the stairs in pjs. "Is there a baby crying down here?"

"I thought you left," Bruce said.

"Like I was leaving to just come back tomorrow," she scoffed, skipping down the stairs. "Why is there a screaming baby?"

"She's just hungry," Dick said casually, unable to stop smiling.

"Okay, _now_ I'm going to change quick," Harley kissed Dick's cheek, "give her a bottle. Do we have any diapers or onesies here?" she asked as she walked toward the stairs.

"No, we didn't bring any," Dick sighed.

"I'll go get her some!" Jason volunteered, whipping his keys out.

"Tired of the crying already?" Selina asked.

"I can scream in your ear," Jason offered, heading to the door; Ivy reluctantly followed. Dick looked around. Damian was walking away, Alfred hadn't returned, and Bruce and Selina stood nearby talking quietly. He cleared his throat.

"Scuse me?" He smiled sheepishly. "I... I read a whole bunch, but I don't know what to do. We should give her a bath, but..." He cradled Haly, supporting her tiny head. "I don't know what to do."

"Sponge bath," Harley answered, hurrying back down the stairs. She smiled at Dick and Haly, running her hands through her hair. "Let's take her into the kitchen." She smiled down at Haly. "Alfred probably has a bottle ready for you. Then we can get you clean."

Dick happily followed, letting Harley lead the way as he talked soothingly to Haly. She continued to cry as they walked into the kitchen.

"Here you are, Miss Harley," Alfred handed her a bottle. "Some formula left over from... Well it's not important."

"Here. You feed her." Dick smiled at Harley, offering her Haly. Harley happily took her back, supporting Haly's head with her elbow.

"Here you go," she cooed, coaxing her to take the bottle. Dick beamed proudly at them. Alfred smiled a little.

"I kept some baby formula that I bought for your daughter before she was due, knowing that Master Dick would be the forgetful sort. I put it all away when she... Well she's home now." He gently smoothed her hair. Dick, standing behind Harley, wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek and rested his chin on her shoulder gently. He seemed more relaxed than he had been in weeks.

"She's home," Harley repeated, the reality of it still hitting her. She watched Haly sucking happily on her bottle. "She's really here."

She felt Dick's jaw tighten as he tried not to cry. All he could do was nod, unable to come up with the words to describe his feelings; their daughter was alive. Bruce cleared his throat as he stepped in. "How is she?"

"Quiet, for now," Dick smiled a little. Bruce watched him, holding his beautiful little accidental family.

"Once she's... More nourished and in better health, I think we ought to do a blood test, just to be safe." Bruce's tone was calm and fatherly, and Dick knew that he was just trying to take care of them in his own way. He smiled a little and nodded.

"That may be a good idea. Harley?" Dick looked at her over her shoulder, squeezing her closer gently. Haly drank hungrily. Harley sighed.

"I know the reasoning behind it, but can we just be happy and not worry for a moment? We just got her back." She watched Haly wiggle her arms in her blanket. "What if we hadn't found her?" she breathed.

"Let's not think about that," Dick whispered. Bruce nodded. Harley looked up at Dick.

"I want him to suffer for taking her," she admitted. "And that's putting it mildly. If he ever comes near her again..."

"Yet for murdering her, you wouldn't let me take his head off," Dick muttered, smiling a little.

"I was going to take his head off for murdering her," Harley mumbled, watching Haly. "Once I got over being terrified of him," she admitted. " _You're_ just not allowed to blatantly murder someone."

"Neither of you will be killing anyone," Alfred instructed, moving about the kitchen and getting things out to make something to eat.

"What are you doing, Al?" Dick asked quietly, looking up at him.

"Well you two were off gallivanting around the city, wasting half the night, Master Bruce was wandering the halls and half the boys were missing-" he looked at his watch- "It's almost morning. Did you think your breakfast just prepares itself?"

"It's almost morning?" Harley asked, looking at the clock; it was past midnight. "It's Christmas Eve." She smiled at Haly again. "It's going to be your first Christmas." Dick smiled a little.

"Hmm. I hadn't thought about that. It's Christmas."


	34. Meet Haly

_**Tis the season.**_

 _ **As everyone returns home for Christmas Eve festivities, there's much fuss and excitement over the baby Haly Grayson. Dick and Harley have her back, and they couldn't be prouder or happier.**_

 _ **And with the return of the baby, the reality of it all hits the family like a ton of bricks. Jason is an uncle. Dick and Harley are parents. Bruce is a grandfather- and expecting father. Harley never could have asked for a more perfect family.**_

Harley smiled as she watched Haly. The baby was snuggled up in a cocoon of blankets. Her little feet kicked in her pajama onesie as she slept. Harley gently ran her fingers through her little tuft of black hair, feather soft after her bath. She glanced at Dick who had fallen asleep watching the baby, drooling onto his pillow. She shifted her elbow to a better position as she watched them.

Haly squirmed as she woke up, blinking her eyes before scrunching them up and clenching her little fists as she started to cry. Dick's head snapped off the pillow as he jerked awake at the noise. Harley chuckled a little.

"And I was so happy with the thought that you were getting _some_ sleep." She kissed his forehead. "Go back to sleep," she glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly eleven, "it's my turn to feed her."

Dick smiled sleepily and rolled onto his side, yawning as he shoved his face back into the pillow. "Actually, I'm sleeping better than I have in months."

"Good," Harley scooped up the screaming baby, "but don't get used to it." She tucked her pink blanket around her kicking limbs.

Dick laughed. "I don't mind."

"Good." Harley nudged him with her knee. She talked soothingly as she carried Haly from the room. "It's okay, baby." When she walked in the kitchen, Alfred was waiting with a bottle.

"I could hear her crying from the parlor," he said, offering her the bottle. Harley adjusted Haly around to take it.

"Thanks Al." Harley smiled.

"Never had much luck with babies, mind you, but I do know how to prepare a bottle. After all, I only raised each of these boys, including Master Bruce, from adolescence." He smiled lovingly at Haly. "She's lovely," he said quietly.

"She really is." Harley offered her the bottle, but Haly fussed a little while longer before finally taking it. "There you go. You're just as stubborn as your father," Harley told her with a smile. Alfred laughed.

"Are you hungry, Miss Harley? Mothering is quite exhausting. I would know," he whispered with a wink as Bruce walked into the kitchen to the refrigerator. Bruce glanced at them suspiciously when they laughed.

"Good morning Bruce," Harley smiled, "did she wake you?" He took a drink of water from the water bottle that he'd pulled out of the fridge.

"I was up," he said simply. Bruce smiled a little and walked towards them. "How is she?"

"As far as I can tell, perfect." Harley watched her continue to suck on her bottle. "After Christmas we should probably take her to a doctor though. And according to official record, she's technically still dead." Haly finished off the last of the formula, and Harley set the bottle aside as the baby started to scream again. She grabbed a burping cloth and draped it over her shoulder as she moved Haly to burp her.

"Not a problem. Jason is technically dead as well, but I suppose that's a different situation." Bruce cleared his throat. "Harley... I want you to know that I will do anything I can to get you and Dick the life you want. Whether that's normal or... in our line of work... I want you to be happy. Both of you." He shifted a bit awkwardly and then nodded. Harley smiled at him.

"Here." Supporting Haly's head, she shifted the baby into Bruce's arms, adjusting them a little. "She may be a little fussy, so try rocking her a little. Gently."

"Wait, I-" Bruce tried to protest, but Haly settled down in his arms. He chuckled breathlessly and smiled. "She's..." _Wow, Dick._ "Congratulations."

"Thanks. I thought you could use the practice." Harley smirked, setting the burping cloth on the counter and moving to clean the bottle. Bruce went white, and Alfred turned sharply.

"What?"

"Alfred, I- we were going to-" Bruce carefully gave Haly back to Harley as Alfred walked towards him.

"What were you going to do?" he demanded. Bruce started to talk, but Alfred smacked the back of his head. "When were you planning on telling me?" He hit him again, and Bruce laughed in exasperation. "You'd best be taking care of this one. I'm far too old to be raising another child like I had to with you, and the rest of your sons..."

Watching them now, Harley couldn't imagine what Alfred dealing with a teenage Bruce would have been like.

"Sorry, I just assumed Alfred knew." Harley smiled down at Haly. "I didn't think anyone could keep a secret from him." Haly blinked her eyes, gurgling contentedly as their voices lulled her.

"It's been a busy couple of weeks," Alfred sighed, shooting one last glare at Bruce. His eyes shone despite his scolding. Selina came into the kitchen with Bruce's robe draped over her shoulders. She yawned and smiled when she saw Haly and Harley.

"How is the little angel?" She beamed. "Oh Harley, she's such a sweetheart!"

"She is," Harley cooed at Haly. "Earlier she was being a little devil instead and wouldn't stop crying after Dick fed her. It took a long time to get you to go back to sleep, didn't it?" Jason walked into the kitchen with tired eyes and bed head. He watched Haly warily as he walked by to get coffee.

Bruce took Selina's hand and guided her out of the kitchen to talk. Harley heard a pounding down the stairs in the foyer, and Dick leapt over the railing and through the kitchen door, landing quietly behind Jason.

"Heya, little brother," he flicked Jason's ear and grinned.

"Ew." Jason swatted his hand away, taking a gulp of coffee.

"Ah," Harley teased, "where's your Christmas spirit?"

"Hopefully at the bottom of this mug," he muttered.

"Jay did you spike it?" Dick pulled the mug away from him and smelled it.

"No." Jason smacked his hand, taking his cup back. "I only spiked the eggnog."

"Not the homemade stuff!" Dick whined. Jason shrugged.

"Hey everybody!" Tim called from the foyer as he and Steph dumped their bags by the stairs.

"Did you guys start the party without us?" Steph whined as she and Tim walked into the kitchen.

"Was Damian not invited?" Tim asked. He stopped by Dick. "I talked to the Titans. Everything's good, and they said to tell you Merry- What the hell is that?" Tim spotted Haly in Harley's arms.

"Oh. Tim, Steph-" Dick beamed- "Meet Haly."

"Meet... Haly..." Tim breathed. "Damn it. This is why I don't leave." Steph crouched in front of Harley, inches from Haly.

"Hey there little baby. Is this _the_ Haly or a Haly? Are we just bringing in more Robins off the street?" She beamed at the baby. "She is as cute as a button."

"Long story short, Joker didn't kill her, he took her. And we got her back." Dick stroked Haly's chubby cheek lightly, smiling down at her.

"No telling what his demented plans were going to be, but for once, we were one step ahead of him," Harley grinned. Dick nodded and cleared his throat.

"Now... Now we can just focus on Christmas." He smiled lightly. "I've just... I gotta sit down..." Dick laughed and half stumbled to the table, the whole situation finally sinking in. "I'm a _dad."_

"Oh my God." Jason sat at the counter with his head in his hands. "Bruce is a grandfather. And Alfred's like that old relative in the nursing home."

"You're an uncle Jason," Dick laughed, but he looked… scared.

"Well," Jason stood up and clapped Dick on the shoulder, "at least you can't be a worse father than the Joker." He put his mug in the sink on his way out of the kitchen. "Morning Pan," he told Damian as he passed him in the doorway.

"Shut up, Todd," Damian muttered.

"How is Carrie, by the way?" Dick asked gently. Damian glanced at him stiffly.

"Fine. I suppose I should find your concern comforting and regard it a form of compassion or understanding- but I really find it to be none of your damn business."

"Young Master Damian, _please,_ watch your language." Alfred shot him a glare from the stove, busy already preparing a Christmas Eve dinner.

"Yeah you sounded like your uptight mother right up until you turned into a tiny Bruce with the 'none of your damn business' part," Dick pondered. Alfred looked at him in exasperation.

"Well this uptight mother wants some coffee, so would you please take your daughter. Without upsetting her," Harley added. Dick beamed, taking Haly into his arms. He adjusted her gently against his elbow.

"Here," Damian handed Harley a mug of coffee and slid the cream and sugar towards her.

"Aw, Damian made his sister-in-law coffee," Steph cooed. Tim dropped down in a chair beside Dick, and Stephanie sat down on his left.

"Is there something wrong with me doing a good thing?" Damian asked lightly.

"No, it's just out of character," Tim shrugged. Dick nodded in agreement, and Damian scowled.

"Keep insulting him," Harley said, stirring in sugar, "and I'm sure poisoning your coffee _won't_ be out of character." She sipped her coffee.

"Fine," Dick muttered. Damian walked out of the kitchen and glanced over his shoulder, pausing in the doorway.

"Carrie is improving, by the way," he said quietly. Damian disappeared into the hall. Dick smiled a little, his thumb stroking the soft blanket wrapped around Haly.

"Everyone's stopping by tomorrow, right?" Harley asked. "Dick told me you were Christmas breakfast sort of people instead of Christmas Eve dinner."

"Yeah, but Dick could never wait that long to open his presents," Jason smirked.

"Not true, Jason. Besides. I've already gotten everything I could have possibly wanted this year," Dick smiled down at his daughter. Stephanie awwed and Jason rolled his eyes. "We tended to be more of an early Christmas Eve, _and then_ Christmas morning family. I don't think any of us remember a Christmas without patrol all night," he thought aloud, and Jason and Tim shook their heads.

"Not here, and not with Bruce, anyway," he added. Dick sighed in agreement, remembering Christmasses with his team. Haly fussed for a moment in his arms before he began humming softly, and she fell quiet again.

"I'm going to take her someplace with a little less noise," Dick said gently, and then kissed Harley's cheek before walking out of the kitchen. She saw him walking up to the bedroom before the door swung closed. Steph squealed loudly, practically tackling Harley.

"She is so cute! You guys need to bring her back down later, so I can hold her.. And start saying 'Stephanie is awesome' in front of her a bunch to make them her first words."

"'Red Hood' has a nice ring to it for first words," Jason mused. Harley laughed at them.

"You will all get a chance to hold her later, and she'll need a diaper change soon if anyone's volunteering." She picked her coffee back up and was about to walk out of the kitchen when she paused. "I know I'm usually the first person to yell at Bruce for wanting to go on patrol injured or on important evenings, but... we took her, and he isn't going to forgive that. If he..."

"You don't even have to ask," Jason scoffed. "There would be no greater Christmas present than my knife coated in the Joker's blood. Or a crowbar," he mused.

"Ok," Harley nodded, "but you keep that violence away from my baby."

She sipped her coffee as she walked out and headed up the stairs. She pushed open the door to the bedroom that she and Dick shared. The curtains were drawn, and she could see Dick's figure lying on the bed. One arm was around Haly protectively, snuggled into his chest, and his head raised off of his pillow a bit to smile lightly at Harley before he settled down again.

"Didn't you just get up?" Harley laughed quietly, crawling in beside him.

"I only went to bed three hours before then," he pointed out in a whisper.

"That used to be enough sleep for you," Harley countered.

"It is. But I'm not going to leave her alone," he whispered, tracing a finger feather light along Haly's cheek lovingly. He looked up at Harley and bit his lip before he smiled.

"I actually miss her when I can't see her," she sighed. "It's like physical ache. I never want to let her go."

"Then stay," Dick whispered softly. Haly kicked a bit, and he smiled.

"Who said I was going anywhere?" Harley grinned. Dick smiled a little.

"Good." He looked down at Haly. After some silence, he looked up at her again. "She looks like you."

"I think she looks like you." She studied Haly. " _Definitely_ looks like you."

"Nah... She's got your eyes. Jay said she had mine, but mine are blue-gray. Hers have green, like yours." Dick watched their daughter stretch between them, her tiny hand clenched around his finger. Dick lay on his side with one hand propped under his head, Haly laying against his chest. "I might be wrong," he smiled a little.

"You are wrong," Harley assured him. "That adorably stupid look on her face as she sleeps? That's how you look when you sleep."

Dick laughed and then covered his mouth, smiling up at her. "I love you." He put one finger on her jaw, guiding her closer to his lips to kiss her. He smiled a little and leaned back again, looking down at Haly. "My two beautiful girls... What more could I have wanted for Christmas?" Dick laughed. "Well maybe another brother, or something." He chuckled quietly. Harley pursed her lips, staring at him with wide eyes. Dick looked up at her. "No. You aren't serious." He broke into a grin. "Are you kidding me?" Dick laughed, his voice still hushed in the dark.

"I was supposed to keep quiet about it," Harley muttered.

"Bruce..." Dick shook his head and smiled. "I can't wait to see what you do with another kid... I can't believe it. We're all changing so much." Dick looked up at Harley and smiled a little. He reached a hand up to push some of her hair away from her face, his finger brushing her cheek gently as he leaned forward and kissed her lovingly. His taste was so familiar and welcoming, his hand warm on her cheek. Haly kicked between them, and Harley felt Dick smile against her lips.

"I don't think I can get any happier than I am right now," Harley murmured, resting her forehead against his as she looked down at Haly. Dick nodded in agreement.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered, stroking Harley's cheek.

"Merry Christmas." Harley smiled before leaning in and kissing him.


	35. No Peeking

_**Twas the Night before Christmas…**_

 _ **And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, Bats are nocturnal. Christmas Eve is winding to a close as the midnight hour grows closer, and each family member has broken off, spending it with people they love.**_

 _ **Despite the time, the family is very active; Bruce and Selina talk about their unexpected gift, Jason and Ivy sneak down to the Batcave, and Dick and Harley get into some Christmas mischief of their own. Gotham is at peace tonight, for once.**_

Selina watched Bruce as he ran a hand through his hair, his body tense.

"It's going to be okay," she told him, moving to sit by him on the bed. She adjusted the robe of his she was wearing tighter. "We're going to tell all of them anyway."

"I know," Bruce sighed. "I just don't know if I'm ready for them to… I don't know if _I'm_ ready…" He trailed off, glancing up at her. The man who could face anything, _Batman_ , looked nervous. Selina smiled a little, taking his hand.

"You've raised four boys, and while Cassandra practically raised herself, she _is_ your daughter. Why wouldn't you be ready, Bruce?" she asked gently, touching his cheek.

"I've never _raised_ a kid. I never had a baby- been an influence in someone's life from the day they were born." He put his hand over hers. "I've never been married, raised a kid with someone I love, and after what happened to Dick, Harley, and Haly… I've never done this right."

"Bruce… you have. You tend to take responsibility for the boys. They _are_ your responsibility, yes, but… they have their own lives." Selina's hand slid up his jaw, her fingers brushing his hair above his ear. Her thumb stroked his cheekbone gently. "Dick and Harley… Haly is _their_ daughter. Your job as a grandparent is to, I don't know-" Selina shrugged- "buy her expensive toys without her parents permission, or give her money in birthday cards, or feed her junk food whenever she comes over." She smiled lovingly. "You don't have to raise her. And you don't have to mother hen _them._ Dick, Jason, Tim… they're all adults. They can take care of themselves. Damian, well… we'll take care of him together. Just like we'll take care of our baby _together_."

"Look how much the Joker destroyed Dick, and I was his target all along. I worry too much as it is about you, then you won't be able to defend yourself, and then there will be another..." He stood up and started pacing. "Babies can't take care of themselves, or defend themselves, and if I love it as much as I love you and the boys and…"

Selina burst into laughter. "Bruce, are you insinuating that you _could_ love the baby any less than the rest of us?" She stood, shook her head, and stopped his pacing. "You worry too much."

"I worry just enough." He rested his hands on her shoulders. "I couldn't live if anything happened to you. And now… a baby," he breathed the word, smiling a little before the smile wavered. "I can't lose my family again."

"You won't have to," she assured him, with a gentle kiss to his lips. Selina sighed. "You're so tense. And I'm so sore I feel like I just went six rounds with you, and not in the good way," she smirked at him. "Harley told me that would happen. Come on, I want a bath," Selina's hand slid into his as she pulled him towards the bathroom.

"What else is supposed to happen? Is there anything I should know? Should you go to a doctor? What about-"

"-Bruce!" Selina cried in exasperation. "What do I have to do to get you to stop _thinking_ for five minutes?!" she laughed a little, pushing the bathroom door open.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"You should be. Now come on, Mr. Wayne, your wife needs you." She beamed happily, pulling the collar of the robe away from her neck with a wink.

"I thought you were sore and tired," he chuckled, kissing her exposed shoulder. Selina closed her eyes.

"That's why I want to take a bath, silly. A nice relaxing bath," she smiled at him lovingly, squeezing his hand. Still holding her, Bruce started the water and tested it with his free hand. He looked back up at her.

"Do you need bubbles or something?" he asked in a slightly mocking manner. Selina thought for a moment.

"Bubbles, of course. Lots of scented bath soap. I want you to smell flowery," she laughed quietly, standing on her toes to kiss him. When their lips parted, she smiled a little. "You know I love you, right?" He trailed a thumb along her jaw.

"Yes. And you know I love you."

Selina smiled and closed her eyes at his touch. "I suppose all of the rumors about you aren't true, then. Heart of stone, and all that," she breathed.

"No, just walls of stone," he smirked down at her, "but you never had any challenge getting around tough defences."

* * *

Dick bit his lip as he drove, glancing nervously at Haly bundled up tightly in blankets in Harley's arms. "We already had most of our stuff… I mean, we have a _car seat,_ and we need it. We'll grab some clothes and then head back to the Manor for Christmas Eve… We have to grab the presents, too," he went through a mental checklist, driving carefully in the snow.

"Also more diapers, and baby formula, a stroller, and burping cloths, and other miscellaneous things, oh and her music box. Aunt Ivy got it for you," she told Haly, grinning. Dick smiled a little as he pulled into the back driveway of their house, the Christmas lights strung up on the house dark in the falling snow. Dick frowned up at them and unlocked the front door, turning the lights on as he went.

"Okay, diapers, formula, clothing…" He went upstairs to start gathering things for Haly. Harley hummed as she carried Haly up the stairs and into her and Dick's bedroom.

"Wanna help me pack?" she asked Haly, tickling her tummy as she smiled at her. "I love you no matter what, but you are _so_ much cuter when you aren't crying." She giggled before flicking the closet light on. "This is really more of a two hand job," she muttered. A knock on the door downstairs sounded, and Dick came out of Haly's room. She listened to his footfalls down the steps. Will greeted him at the door, and Dick broke into a grin.

"Will! Merry Christmas," he put his hands on his hips, his voice cheery as he let him in. Dick laughed as Lilly slammed into his legs, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Merry Christmas, Lilly," he stroked her hair and bent over to hug her back.

"Sorry," Molly apologized as she stepped up beside Will, "your lights were on, so we thought you were back, and Lilly wanted to share her cookies." She held up a tupperware container full of Christmas cookies. Dick smiled, his eyes shining.

"Gee, I don't know what to say, guys. Thank you. Lilly," he knelt in front of her, "will you go turn the Christmas tree lights on, and grab the presents there for you and your parents?" Lilly giggled and scampered away.

"How you holding up?" Will asked, clapping Dick on the shoulder. They stepped inside and closed the door behind them. "I haven't seen you since the...funeral."

"I'm-" Dick hesitated. "Harley- we have guests, do you want to come down, please?" he called up the stairs, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. They heard her walking slowly down the stairs.

"Don't yell," she sighed as she walked into the room. "Hi Will. Hi Molly." She smiled at them. The two of them gaped at Haly in her arms. "You need to stop doing that to people," she snapped at Dick, pursing her lips as she tried not to smile. He grinned broadly.

"But it's just so _fun_ ," he laughed.

"How?" Molly asked, teary eyed.

"Unpleasant story," Dick said quietly. Will shook his head.

"Well, you aren't even on the force anymore, and you're going to give me a heart attack one of these times," he smiled at Harley as Molly looked down at Haly.

"She's just wonderful, Harley," Molly laughed. Dick kissed Harley's cheek as Lilly ran in with the presents. She dropped them on the floor.

"I wanna hold her!" Lilly cried, reaching up for Haly.

"No, Lilly." Molly set the cookies aside and picked her daughter up. "You have to be gentle with babies." Lilly peered down at Haly.

"I will call her Squishy, and she will be mine," she giggled, straining forward in her mother's arms to look at the baby.

"Proof that Jason thinks like a four year old," Harley laughed. Dick shook his head.

"Lilly, you and your family have presents to open," he pointed out, putting his hands in his pockets. Lilly squirmed out of Molly's arms to the floor. She handed up the two presents for her parents before tearing into the wrapping on her box. Harley covered Haly's ears just in time as Lilly squealed; she pulled out an Anna doll to match her Elsa doll and an Elsa dress. She clutched them to her chest and twirled around.

"Daddy, look." She held them up.

"They're great sweetie," Will chuckled. Dick nudged him as he tore open his present, and Molly did the same. They both pulled out knitted hats in different colors.

"Harley made them," Dick beamed at her, and Will put his on happily.

"You did so well, Harley!" Molly giggled, and Will hugged her. When Will let go of Harley, he pulled Dick in for a hug. Dick laughed. Will smiled at him.

"Thank you. Merry Christmas, Kid."

* * *

"We could go out, you know. Just because my family says its 'family time'-" Jason made air quotes with his fingers- "doesn't mean we _actually_ have to be here. Nobody else is…"

"No."

"Oh come on, Ivy," he leaned against the fireplace.

"No."

"Well then, you could grow some mistletoe, and we could have a little fun," he smirked, and she continued to ignore him, stroking the branches of the Christmas tree, watching the vitality return to them at her touch. The age difference between them usually didn't matter, but sometimes he was a little too immature for her liking. Jason watched her. "Come on, Red, it's just a _tree_ ," he muttered. She turned to glare at him before walking away. Jason laughed and followed, catching her arm. Ivy pulled it away, still not used to someone actually being able to touch her. "It was just a joke, I'm sorry," he laughed. Jason walked back to the couch and dropped down into the cushions, propping his boots up on the coffee table.

"Your brother just had a baby, and your dad just got married. You don't get to ruin things for them." She glared at him.

"Exactly, so why don't we get out of here _before_ I make a mess of things," Jason muttered, picking at a thread loose on his jacket.

"I don't think that's how they'll view it." She cocked her head with a sly smile. "Besides, then you won't get your Christmas present."

"Honestly I doubt Bruce got _any_ of us presents," Jason said distractedly, "and what, am I gonna sit around and wait for something from Dick? Please, he probably got me something stupid. _Again._ " Ivy sauntered over to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Keep this up and you aren't getting a present from _anyone_ then."

"I-" Jason sat up a bit when he finally caught on. "Keep what up? I'm not doing anything," he pointed out, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Exactly," she smirked, opening her hand to show a sprout of mistletoe. Jason smiled a little and leaned his head back to kiss her, the corner of his lips still turned up a bit. He pulled away from her lips.

"Isn't that stuff poisonous?" he asked, cocking his head a bit.

"If memory serves, you like that sort of thing."

"Only you." Jason grinned. "So what'd you get me for Christmas?"

"Besides an attitude check?" Ivy crossed her arms and watched him, full lips frowning slightly, with the corner turned up. "I can't tell you, it's supposed to be a surprise." Jason groaned, leaning his head back.

"Any way I can convince you?" He grinned hopefully.

Ivy shook her head, hiding a smile. "If you couldn't get information out of me when it mattered, why would I tell you something as trivial as this?"

"Um," Jason thought about it, "how about an exchange?" He got up, pulling her with him. "I break the rules for you, and you break the rules for me." He lead her into the library, stopping in front of the clock, grinning. "We were always good at that." Ivy crossed her arms.

"What did you have in mind?" Jason adjusted that hands on the clock face, turning back to her as it opened.

"Just the basement." He shrugged. "Only ours is badass."

Ivy uncrossed her arms in surprise and looked between Jason and the elevator. "Is that…?"

"Why don't you find out." He grinned, stepping into the elevator. She followed him suspiciously.

"Something tells me you will be _dead_ if your father found out about this."

"First of all, death: been there done that. And second, he'd kill me if he found out about a lot of things I've done."

"Am I included in that list?" she whispered close to his ear, a hand tracing down his arm seductively.

Jason laughed, holding her close as the elevator doors opened. "Sweet Pea," he grinned, keeping her body pressed to his as he lead her slowly into the Batcave, "you're at the top of that list."

* * *

"Close your eyes and turn around," Steph instructed, grabbing Tim's hands and putting them over his eyes herself. She spun him around. "No peeking."

"Steph," Tim sighed.

"No. Shush." He could hear her rifling around as she pulled his present out. "Um. Can you hand me that box. It's right in front of you. No peeking!" she squealed as he opened his eyes to look for it. He sighed again as he crouched down and swiped his hand in front of him until he found the box. He tossed it behind him. "Thanks. Now do you want the Santa wrapping paper, or the Christmas tree wrapping paper?"

"Does it _really_ matter, Steph?" Tim asked with a smile. "You have about four seconds until I turn around."

"No you won't," Steph chuckled. "You don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Steph..." Tim laughed in exasperation, turning around with his eyes closed, arms outstretched. "Fine. But do I really have to wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Yup, now stop whining you big baby."

"It was a simple question, I wasn't whining," he defended, listening to her and catching her around the waist with a smile. Tim's thinly muscled arms wrapped around her middle, and he leaned against her back.

"Stop peeking!" she cried, shoving him away.

"I'm not peeking!" He laughed. "My eyes are still completely closed. Moving without sight was part of my training, you know," he kissed her cheek, still smiling. He sat back from where she'd shoved him, and wrapped his arms around her waist again, nuzzling her cheek with his nose and smiling. He kept his eyes closed, as promised.

"Nah, it's okay," she giggled, "it's been wrapped for like five minutes."

"You jerk," he laughed, opening his dark blue eyes and squeezing her tight. He, like his brothers, had blue eyes and dark black hair, but at the same time, none of them looked the same. Jason's hair was almost brown it was so light, and Tim's was as jet black as Dick's. Dick's eyes were a sky blue and Damian and Bruce's were nearly crystalline, Jason's were blue-green, and Tim's were the darkest, a stormy gray hue.

"I know." She leaned back, squinting her eyes. "You don't know what it is do you? You didn't go all Sherlock Holmes on it, right?"

"Of course not. And I won't even guess it correctly before I open it tomorrow, just to make you happy," he kissed her nose and smiled.

"Good," she draped her arms over his shoulders, "because I think you'll really like it."

"I do. I mean, I will," he smiled, his ears going red a bit as he looked down, and then back up at her. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" Steph crossed her arms.

"No, but I doubt it would help your current predicament." She smacked his shoulder. "It was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I can't help it! I'm sorry!" He raised his hands in surrender, laughing a bit. "It _was_ an accident!"

"Unfortunately for you, two can play at this game," Steph smirked. "I made sure to get you two gifts. Sure, you figured out the expensive one I got custom made with Bruce's money," she shrugged, "but that just means you have to wait until tomorrow to get the one I was going to give you tonight." She grinned mischievously up at him.

"Wait, I didn't see two gifts," Tim stared at her in genuine confusion. Steph sighed.

"Come on, oh great detective, think it through. No visible gift, it's from your girlfriend, she was going to give it to you tonight, you are _in_ your girlfriend's _room_..."

"Oh. Oh, right, got it," he blushed again and laughed. "Well that's okay. Some things are worth waiting for." He smiled. Steph glared at him.

"Damn it. Why'd you have to go and say something cute like that? That's cheating."

"I don't cheat on anything," Tim pointed out and then kissed her cheek gently. "If we're done wrapping presents, I may as well go to bed. Good night," he walked to the door and smiled at her, his eyes shining.

"You sir, are ruining Christmas," she told him, marching over to him. "Stop it this instant." She yanked him back in the room by his shirt, pushing the door closed behind him. " _But_ , lucky for you, if you take your time, technically speaking it'll be Christmas morning, and you can _make_ my Christmas." She held onto his shirt, standing on tiptoe, so their noses were nearly touching. "But then there may be one more _present_ to wrap."

* * *

"Kid, go home. It's past your bedtime." The older woman at the desk leaned over to look at Damian, just barely tall enough to see over the high counter, his nose even with it's surface. He pulled at his backpack straps angrily.

"I told you, I'm here to see someone. I have permission."

"From who?" she grunted, not looking away from her computer.

"My father is Bruce Wayne."

"Well I wouldn't care if your father really _was_ Bruce Wayne," she shook her head in exasperation. "This is a facility for the criminally insane, there technically _are_ no visiting hours, unless you've got a badge," she pointed out. Damian's mouth twisted down in a scowl.

"Well my father _is_ Bruce Wayne, and Dr. Henry has allowed me to visit whenever I want." His fists balled at his sides. "So let me _in_ , you useless bag of-"

"Damian!" Dr. Henry cried in surprise as he and another doctor came through the sealed door from the stairwell. The guard glanced at him and then let him continue on. "It's pretty late on Christmas Eve. Why aren't you home?" he asked kindly, and Damian shot him a glare.

"I _wanted_ to come visit her, but this old-"

"-it's alright, Mrs. Haverford, he's allowed," Dr. Henry interrupted him and put a hand on Damian's shoulder, guiding him back through the stairwell to the West Wing of the asylum. "She's doing a lot better," he spoke as they walked down a hall, in answer to Damian's inevitable question. "She's agreed to take all of her medication, thanks to you."

Damian smiled a little. "Yes, well. It's not very kind to numb her mind like they do, but it _is_ the best option when she's attacking people."

"Right," Dr. Henry chuckled as they walked past another guard on patrol. The doctor looked down at the funny proper little boy in front of him. "You're absolutely right."

They approached a locked cell. The West Wing wasn't as heavily guarded or as armored as the East, the lesser offenders and sometimes just plain patients were kept here. Dr. Henry scanned his ID card, and the door unlocked. Damian stepped in and cried out in outrage.

"Why is she tied down!?" he demanded. The doctor put a hand on his shoulder.

"She was a danger to herself, Damian. She's as comfortable as one can be, I assure you. I'll be back in ten minutes, unfortunately that's all the time I can give you with her. It's lights out in fifteen." He looked sadly at Carrie and then turned and left. Damian walked to her little metal desk and smiled at the drawings and pages of writing littering its surface, pictures taped to the walls. He took the chair and sat down beside her head.

"Heya, Boy Wonder," Carrie smiled, her eyes half open lazily as she smiled. "Come to rescue me at last?"

"Keep your voice down," Damian snapped with a glance over his shoulders, and then his voice softened. "They've given you the good stuff, haven't they?"

Carrie laughed again and smiled at him. Her pale skin seemed lighter, her short ginger hair tousled, and her eyes reddened behind her glasses. Damian's stomach twisted, but he smiled.

"It's Christmastime, so I brought you something," he pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and held it up so she could see, unfolding it to show her a picture of himself and Titus. "It was tricky doing it in front of a mirror. There's Alfred and Allie, too," he pointed out the cats on the picture, and Carrie beamed happily at it. "And Grayson keeps leaving his dogs at the Manor so I take care of them. Their names are Wally and Clark. Do you remember them?" Carrie shook her head, and Damian smiled sadly. "That's okay." he stood and pulled a bit of tack out of his pocket, sticking the picture up on her wall. "Now I'm always with you."

She giggled happily and turned her head to look at the ceiling. Damian sat down again.

"You came to see me at bedtime."

"I know. I couldn't get away from the house to come. I'm lucky that Father doesn't really pay that much attention to me…" Damian sighed. "He probably knows when I come see you. Well, he's Batman, he knows everything."

"It's bedtime," she said adamantly. Damian looked down.

"I'm sorry. I have to go soon, anyway. I miss you is all." He hung his head, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Damian," Carrie whispered. He looked up, and she seemed to focus for a moment, watching him. "It's gonna be okay."

He smiled a little. "Merry Christmas, Carrie."


	36. Merry Christmas

_**Twas the Night before Christmas…**_

 _ **And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, Bats are nocturnal. Christmas Eve is winding to a close as the midnight hour grows closer, and each family member has broken off, spending it with people they love.**_

 _ **Despite the time, the family is very active; Bruce and Selina talk about their unexpected gift, Jason and Ivy sneak down to the Batcave, and Dick and Harley get into some Christmas mischief of their own. Gotham is at peace tonight, for once.**_

Blackbat dove across the rooftops, her breathing coming through her mask in fast gusts of steam as she ran. She'd already stopped several crimes in progress, and for the first time in a while, she was having fun.

Because _he_ was there.

Six times already tonight she'd beaten him to crime scenes and solved his cases for him, leaving the perpetrator behind. The strapping Asian detective didn't stand a chance.

She didn't know why she was doing it, exactly. To be honest, being around her family and all of the gooey soap-opera romance and gossip- 'who's pregnant', 'who's sleeping with who'... it all made her sick. She'd missed the action of the field among all of their love lives tied together. At the same time… she knew what else it made her feel. Lonely. This stupid game with the Detective was just to pass the time.

Now, she was on her way to another scene, a mugging in progress in uptown Gotham. She'd heard the Detective radio that he was in the vicinity, and she wasn't about to let him get ahead of her. She dove over an alleyway and somersaulted to a landing, her boots skidding in the gravel on the rooftop. Blackbat looked down.

There he was, interviewing the man who'd been attacked. She narrowed her eyes and listened.

"...keys, wallet, watch… All of my groceries…" the victim looked down. Blackbat cocked her head and scanned the road. just outside of the streetlight was a torn grocery bag, champagne splattered in the snow from a shattered bottle, bread everywhere from a ripped open loaf. Her eyes fell on the victim. Minimal damage to his person, yet he was big. No way a mugger would pick out a six-foot-three man with shoulders like a hockey player to steal food from. And it was even less likely that said huge man wouldn't put up a fight.

"And can you describe him for me, please?"

"Sure. Uh, leather jacket, black beanie, kinda thin faced guy. He was wearing work coveralls under the jacket. And he had on a bright red scarf. real ratty thing."

"All right, Mr. Farrens, I'm going to ask you to-"

Blackbat was about to turn away when she saw someone creeping around the Detective's vehicle.

Someone wearing work coveralls and a ratty red scarf.

She dove just as the man leapt out from behind the car with a gun, and the bullet ricocheted off of her heavy bulletproof cape. The victim stood and swung at the detective. Blackbat swept her cape behind her as she launched into a flying kick at the assailant's face, taking him down in a couple short blows. She whirled to help the detective, but he was already cuffing the decoy victim, and he stopped to stare at her.

"Holy shit," he breathed, and she cocked her head, the black lenses of her mask eerie and empty. "I thought you were… you're not Batman," he watched her, and she stared at him for a moment longer. He was cute.

 _Get a hold of yourself, Cassandra._ she thought. _You sound like Barbara._

In an instant she'd turned and fired a grappling line at the building across the street, disappearing into the night. She took off running across it's sloped roof.

 _You enjoyed the chase while it lasted,_ she shrugged it off. What was the point? It'd never work out anyway. That was why when she saw Jason and Ivy together… it never bothered her. She and Jason had a physical encounter, only once. _Okay, more than once. Damn he's good._

Blackbat took a deep breath, stopping on the ledge of a building to assess her surroundings. She felt content again, unseen in her black suit against the midnight backdrop of the dark clouds. Gotham shone before her. She was near Arkham, in fact, the building wasn't far off. She glided silently across the gaps between buildings, stopping on the one closest to the gated entrance to the grounds. _Creepy,_ she thought, as she looked at the hospital. _Very spooky._

The gates creaked open and she looked down, and then smiled behind her mask. She charged her cape and dropped into the street, and Damian looked up in surprise. She stared at him for a moment. _He must have been visiting his girl. Oh the Wayne boys and their criminals…_

"Care to join me?" She asked after a silence. Damian broke into a grin and put his mask over his eyes.

"I was way ahead of you," he smirked deviously, stashing his backpack with his motorcycle after digging his cape out, and pulling his shirt off to reveal the gold _R_ emblazoned on his red tunic.

"Try to keep up, Boy Wonder," Blackbat grappled to the roof, and Robin followed.

* * *

"So you'll have to let me know if any of this has _ever_ happened at the station," Barbara said, walking back into the living room. She set the fresh popcorn on the couch between her and Sam as she settled back in. Sam laughed, taking a handful.

"Well so far, really nothing," he told her, pointing the remote at the screen and clicking on the first episode of the second season of _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_ , "but they swear you to secrecy when they give you a badge." He smiled at her as the episode buffered.

"Yeah well, secrecy goes out the window when you're the daughter of the Commissioner and dating a cop," she took some popcorn and glanced up at him, the TV reflecting in her glasses.

"I will admit to Coke and Mentos but nothing more." He adjusted the volume as the show started. Barbara giggled and pulled her legs up onto the cushion beside her, smiling a little. She leaned her head on Sam's shoulder. Sam glanced at his phone when it vibrated; he chuckled. "One of my friends on the force says one of the Bats is following him."

"Hey, don't look at me," Barbara laughed, wrapping a hand around his bicep. "I'm right here. I can't say the same for the others, nor will I. You keep your secrets, I'll keep mine."

"I am good not knowing," he assured her. "I know more than is good for my job already." He flashed her a smile before popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"You would be one of the first people that _doesn't_ want to know all of the secrets of the cowl," she pointed out, resting her chin on his shoulder so she could look at him. "Maybe that's what I love about you," Barbara smiled.

"Are you sure it's not my dashing good looks and Netflix account?"

"Those might have something to do with it," she laughed lightly, still smiling at him. She cocked her head a bit, and her red hair fell over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Sam paused the show, "if you and the show are both distracting me, you win hands down every time."

"I'm not distracting you," she defended, but she couldn't keep the smile completely off of her face.

"Then you are very bad at not distracting a person," he told her, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Barbara looked away, feigning innocence as she took her glasses off and wiped them on her shirt. She replaced them on her nose and grabbed the remote out of his lap, pressing play again and ignoring him.

"Okay," Sam turned back to the TV, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head, "but if you keep distracting me, we're turning it off." Barbara narrowed her eyes and held the remote away from him, biting his ear.

"This is one fight you won't win, Batgirl," he warned, grinning.

"I'll bet you you won't turn it off," she whispered, kissing his cheek, still holding the remote out of his reach.

"Well both you and the TV can't be turned on, so you're going to have to pick one," he told her seriously.

"Well it seems to be working so far. If you can get the remote, you get me," she giggled, kissing his earnest lips playfully. He pushed her back against the couch cushions by her shoulders, leaning over her.

"Are you challenging a Gotham police officer?" he asked, his voice a whisper as his eyes shone looking down at her.

"Batgirl answers to no one," she giggled, beaming up at him.

"Luckily I don't see Batgirl around anywhere." He grinned. "Just my girlfriend, but I have a feeling she doesn't answer to anyone either."

"You've got that right, Boy Scout," she quipped, and in an instant had wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed on his chest, reversing their positions. Her scarlet hair fell down around his face and she waved the remote at him. "You still haven't won."

"I've got a strategy," he assured her, running his hands along her hips.

"I can handle whatever you throw at me," she countered, still smiling.

"Are you sure?" he asked, holding up the remote. "Because I swapped them, and you have the sound remote." Barbara's eyes went wide and she stared at the remote in her hands.

"How the hell-" She sat up, straddling his hips, and gaped at him. "Okay." Barbara smiled again. " _That_ was a turn on."

* * *

Alfred examined the computer screen in front of him. He knew that Bruce knew he had it and probably wasn't sure how to use it, but Tim had shown Alfred enough. He'd connected him to the Batcomputer through a secure line, for one. And showed him how to track their cell phones. Bruce and Selina were together, as were Tim and Stephanie in the mansion. Jason- he could only assume Ivy was with him- had snuck down to the Batcave. He wanted to go scold him, but it wasn't his business. Besides, the boy wasn't doing any harm, anyway. Alfred trusted Ivy. And if he wasn't going to go break Tim and Stephanie away from each other, he certainly wasn't about to intrude on Jason and his girlfriend. Alfred frowned disapprovingly.

Damian and Cassandra's tracers had met not long ago, and he was glad they were together. Of course he knew both were perfectly capable of holding their own, but he always felt better when they went out in pairs. Dick and Harley were returning from their home in the city, and Barbara was at home. Everything seemed to be going as right as it could be.

Alfred turned at a scratching sound on the other side of the room, and he got up, going quickly to the door.

"Stop scratching, you'll ruin the bloody woodwork," he snapped, looking down at the tiny Blue Heeler sitting in front of the door. "And I suppose _you're_ waiting to be fed, am I correct? Ah well, come on. Wally, was it?"

The dog yipped excitedly and jumped up, running down the hall towards the kitchen. He slid to a stop, hitting the wall, and then nosed his way through the door. Alfred chuckled.

"I once met your namesake, you know. You're a lot like him," he said quietly, glancing over his shoulder as Titus and Clark came into the kitchen. Alfred poured the dog food in their bowls, and they all ate sloppily. Wally sniffed at Titus's bowl, and Titus growled. Wally's hair stood and in a moment the two had erupted into barks; Alfred shouted at them over the noise until he finally grabbed Titus's collar and smacked him over the nose with a newspaper. The dogs quieted quickly.

A short mewing sound brought Alfred's attention to the two cats standing expectantly at the counter, and he opened cans of cat food. Looking around at the dogs, Alfred sighed.

"Master Damian, I swear, if you bring _one more_ animal home…"

He rubbed his forehead and walked back out of the kitchen, down the dark hall to his bedroom. He closed the door behind himself and pulled out the various packages and gifts that he'd bought for his family, smiling down at them. He groaned as he sank to the floor, and then got to work wrapping them, labeling each one with the according names; Bruce, Selina, Tim, Cassandra, Dick… Even Ivy. Just because she was a guest didn't mean that she wasn't going to get a present. He'd had no idea what to get her, so he'd just picked up a small package of Ivy seeds at the Greenhouse. She didn't strike him as the type to enjoy material belongings.

As he worked, Alfred signed each one 'from Santa.' It was a habit that he'd had since Dick's childhood. Bruce had never been the type to believe in things like that. In fact, one year he and Alfred had sat by the fireplace, and an earnest, twelve-year-old Bruce had kindly explained to Alfred how the illusion of Kris Kringle was just that- an illusion. Alfred smiled at the memory.

Then when Dick had come along, it was all magic and wonder. He could not even begin to fathom how the presents had gotten there the first Christmas he spent with Bruce and Alfred. Bruce had laughed a lot that year. _He used to smile more,_ Alfred thought sadly, his pen pausing over the tag on Stephanie's gift. _He doesn't laugh like he used to. Like he used to when it was just Dick…_ Before Jason had died. Before he'd truly seen the battlefield. Before all this hardship. Alfred missed the boy he'd known, and no amount of pride in the man that he'd become could fill that hole. Not completely.

In the days when Dick was still so young, when _Bruce_ was still so young; he'd seen a lot of Thomas Wayne in Bruce. A lot of joy. Since then… well.

Alfred couldn't help but think about the past year, all the screaming in the mansion; in pain, in anger, in terror… He stood, carefully, carrying all of the packages in a laundry basket to the parlor. Dick used to sleep on the couch there. Jason did too, in anticipation of the following morning. Alfred carefully placed the brightly wrapped gifts under the tree and smiled as he stepped back. The tree beside the fireplace was always Martha Wayne's doing. Alfred looked at the clock on the mantelpiece as it chimed a quiet midnight, and his eyes turned up to the painting of the couple and their young son, his eyes so full of light and hope.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Wayne," Alfred said quietly, resting a hand on the mantlepiece.

* * *

"There," Dick whispered quietly, standing up, the bassinet finally complete next to the bed. He ran a hand through his hair. "I can defuse a bomb, but that was hard." Dick laughed quietly, sitting down on the bed beside Harley. He pulled the blanket away from Haly's face a bit, smiling down at her sleeping contentedly in Harley's arms. "She's looking better every day," he whispered.

"I think she also cries louder too." Harley smiled down at her. "That's okay," she whispered to the sleeping baby, "I still love you, but thank you for finally sleeping." She carefully laid Haly in the crib. She tucked her in and watched her. She groaned. "I just want to keep holding you, but I also _really_ want to sleep."

Dick stood and stretched, yawning. He walked to the bag that he'd brought from their house, digging around and messing up all of the clothes that Harley had folded. "I really don't want to leave her in there either," he agreed.

"I don't think it's emotionally stable how much I love her." Harley flopped face first onto the bed. "She's the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten," she mumbled into the covers.

"I don't know," Dick shrugged. "I got you a pretty kick-ass sweater. You just haven't opened it yet," he yawned again, crawling into bed beside Harley, not bothering with the covers. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Shhhh, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and act surprised later." She lifted her head off the bed and looked at the bag. "Pajamas. So. Far. Away." She reached her arm out before falling back against the bed. Dick laughed.

"Here, let me help you," he smirked mischievously, helping her undress. He tugged his t-shirt over his head and put it on her, ruffling her hair. Dick smiled and gently took her glasses off, putting them on the bedside table. "Any better?"

Harley wiggled her body back and forth. "It didn't fix everything. Jeans are uncomfortable."

"I'll fix that too," he laughed, sitting up and unbuttoning her jeans. He pulled them off gently and then his hand moved back up her leg, coming to rest on her hip as he kissed her gently. "There. Better now?"

"Yup." Harley smiled against his lips as she kissed him again. "But you know what would be even _more_ comfortable?" She leaned her head on his arm, one corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. Dick laughed as he kissed her again. His shirt smelled like his cologne.

"I have _no_ idea," he whispered, smiling.

"No clothes!" she cried in whisper, her eyes wide as she giggled. "But that's just a personal preference." She smiled against his shoulder.

Dick laughed and leaned his head up, looking over at the nightstand. He smiled at the digital clock and then looked down at Harley. "Merry Christmas," he kissed her cheek. His lips moved on from there, down her neck.

"Don't tell me," Harley breathed, her hands twisting in the band of his pajama pants, " _you're_ my secret Santa."

"Minus the beard and the belly," Dick laughed. "Never could grow a beard. If it got long it didn't look right," he mused with a smile, leaning down to kiss her gently again.

"Don't try," Harley advised. She ran her hands up his back, her fingers tickling the back of his neck. "But I have a question I'm hoping you can answer," she told him, trailing one finger along his bottom lip.

Dick exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. "Ask away," he breathed. She grinned slowly.

"Am I on the naughty or nice list?" She leaned up suddenly and kissed his bottom lip.

She heard the satisfying sound of Dick gasping in surprise. He nearly bit his lip, catching himself in his habit before he did. "Definitely the naughty list."

"Damn." She kissed along his neck. "I was hoping for a nice stocking stuffer." She gently nipped his earlobe. Dick closed his eyes, fighting the urge to moan.

"After what you've done this year?" He smiled, leaning back from her for a moment. "Well, I suppose something can be said for the good you did too." His voice was still quiet and low, and he leaned down, biting her lip gently before he kissed her with dizzying passion. He held himself above her with one arm, the muscles taut and powerful, holding his weight as his other hand traced feather-light along her underwear at her hip. He smiled and kissed her again. Harley wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning.

"Does that mean Santa's little helper gets to come out and play?" Her fingers tangled in his hair. Dick laughed, and Harley covered his mouth to keep him from waking Haly. He grinned into her hand. It seemed like ages since they'd laughed like this. Been this happy. Taking her hand away from his lips, Dick kissed down Harley's neck. His hands moved up her waist, his fingers pausing every now and then to trace a scar lovingly. He kissed her collarbone gently.

"Well I do have a package to deliver." His breath on her skin caused goosebumps to rise on her chest, and one hand moved away from her torso to run down her smooth leg around his waist. Dick smiled against her skin.

"Oh really?" She tossed her head back, breathing heavy. Her fingers running through his hair caused goosebumps to raise on the back of his neck. "I've always wanted to see the North Pole. Just call me your ho ho ho."

Dick laughed, and she had to cover his mouth again, suppressing her own giggling. He pulled her shirt over her head and leaned down to kiss her neck, and she could feel the bulge in his pajama pants against her hip.

"You know," Harley gasped, her hands pulling at his hair as he kissed down her chest, "according to the story, nothing is supposed to be stirring."

"Then this time, try to be quiet so you don't wake Haly," he smirked, pausing to kiss the C-section scar on her stomach. His hands held her hips on either side with the confident grip of an acrobat, and Dick looked up at her, grinning like he had on the day they met, and so many times after.

"I'm not the one who keeps laughing loudly," she countered, pulling his face back up to kiss her. Dick sighed happily into her kiss, his fingers lacing with hers and pulling her hands above her head. He bit her lip gently.

"Then stop making me laugh," he kissed her cheek softly, his lips lingering there.

"You know you don't want that," she teased, her lips brushing against his. One of her hands moved to play with the waistband of his pants. He caught her hand and kissed her slowly. His hand holding her other wrist above her head loosened, and he laced his fingers with hers. Dick lifted his hand to stroke her cheek as his lips moved passionately against hers. He finally gasped and broke off the kiss, what felt like too soon, and he nipped at her bottom lip gently. A contented sigh escaped his lips.

"No one makes me laugh quite like you, Harles." Dick pressed himself against her, his thumb hooking under the lacy waistband of her panties under her belly button. He smiled and whispered near her ear. "Now let me return the favor."


	37. Maybe We All Are

_**Merry Christmas!**_

 _ **It's a bright and not-so-early morning on December the twenty-fifth, and the Wayne family is just waking up to the snowy Christmas morning. After last night's cozy encounters, some family time is well overdue.**_

 _ **The Gordon family joins them after presents are unwrapped and the surprise of the new baby is shared with all. Old friends and new friends, Bruce admires his family, happy to be together and safe for the holiday.**_

Harley woke up tangled in the bedsheets on her side of the bed. She'd put Dick's t-shirt back on when it was her turn to comfort Haly, but after that... She couldn't remember waking up to her crying. Beside her, Dick was breathing gently, his arm curled around Haly where she slept against his bare chest. The sheets barely covered his waist. Dick's dark hair was a mess, hanging over his gentle and serene face; his lips were parted slightly as he breathed slowly. Haly's tiny fist was wrapped around Dick's finger. Harley smiled at the two of them before carefully getting up, trying not to jostle the bed. She grabbed the bag and headed into the bathroom.

When she came out twenty minutes later, her wet hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a long red v-neck over black leggings. She pushed her glasses up her nose as she smiled at Haly.

"It's about time for you to eat isn't it?" Harley whispered. "Should we get you out of here before you start crying and wake him up?"

"I'm up," Dick yawned sleepily, rolling over. Haly remained tucked under his arm, and he smiled up at her. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Harley leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Did she not like her new crib?" she teased.

"Well I got up to feed her, and she wouldn't stop fussing. She calmed right down when I took her with me downstairs to get myself a drink, and I didn't want her to cry and wake you up." Dick smiled lovingly at her. "You look nice."

"Thank you. It's called showering and being well rested. You should try it sometime." She grinned. "And well sexed," she admitted.

Dick laughed and ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip. "That last part I've got down, I think," he smiled sleepily. "But I could use a shower." Dick jumped as Jason pounded on their door, imitating _Do You Want to Build a Snowman_ as he sang, off key and high pitched. "Jackass? Do you want to open presents? Get up you fu-"

"-Master Jason!" Alfred shouted from the end of the hall. They heard Jason cackle evilly and bang on doors as he went down the hallway. Dick grinned.

"Wait for it- as soon as he gets to Damian's room-"

As if on cue, there was a loud thud and a strangled choking sound. Dick laughed, sitting up, careful not to wake Haly. He beamed at Harley and then caught her shirt, pulling her down to his level. He kissed her enthusiastically, and then leaned back. Holding his hand out; Harley gasped at her engagement ring in his palm. She'd thought the Joker had taken it when he'd kidnapped her. "Merry Christmas, beautiful," Dick whispered.

"Where did you… How…" She put it on, hugging him. "Thank you." He held her tight.

"I couldn't find any opportunities to give it to you after he took you." Haly fussed a bit, and Dick stretched. "Here we go. I had her all night, it's your turn," he stood carefully and walked to the bathroom. Harley happily scooped Haly into her arms.

"Hello baby," she cooed. "Merry Christmas. Are you excited to see what you got? I guess more accurately: am I excited to see what you got? You bet." She grinned at the baby, bouncing her in her arms. She heard the shower start in the bathroom, the door mostly open, and Alfred knocked.

"Miss Harley? Is Master Dick up and moving?" he called. Harley moved closer to the door, so she wouldn't have to shout.

"Yup. And Haly isn't, so so far so good."

Alfred smiled lovingly, and he walked away from the door. Dick turned the water off and dried off, digging through the bag Harley had left in the bathroom. "Is she asleep still?" He called, getting dressed.

"Not if everyone keeps shouting," Harley sighed. She walked over to the bathroom and peeked her head in. "If she woke up, I think you'd know."

"Thanks for the heads up. Ready to go downstairs?" He came out of the bathroom. His fitted black t-shirt was tight enough to show off his muscular torso; broad shoulders and thin, lithe waist. He put a hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the room with Haly in her arms.

"Oh no," Harley muttered, stepping away from Dick as Wally charged down the hall toward him. The dog tackled Dick as Clark and Titus trotted happily around the corner. Dick stumbled, and then knelt to play with him. Wally barked, biting at Dick's hands, his tail smacking against Harley's legs as he egged the dog on in baby-talk. "I see he's as hyper as always." Clark stood in front of Harley, sniffing the baby in her arms as he stared up at her. "I've missed you too," she laughed. Dick reached over and bear-hugged Clark, rubbing his back. His black t-shirt was already collecting dog hair. He stood and spat some out of his mouth, grinning.

"Come on, Wally, let's go open presents," Dick smiled, patting his leg so the dog would follow. Haly squirmed in Harley's arms.

"Uh oh, someone's waking up," she bounced Haly in her arms as she started to wail, "and is hungry." She started walking down the stairs; Wally perked his ears up at the sound of the crying. "Let's get you some formula and me some eggnog." Dick followed her down to the kitchen, yawning again. He started making a bottle while Harley poured each of them a glass of eggnog.

"You do remember Jason spiked it, right?" Dick smiled at her, handing her the bottle. He picked up a glass of eggnog and choked a bit when he took a sip. " _Strongly._ Strongly spiked it."

"Merry Christmas," Harley chuckled, getting Haly to quiet as she finally took her bottle. "She's crying because she wants her bottle, but won't stop crying to take it. You are a paradox child." She rolled her eyes. Dick leaned against the counter and smiled, sipping his eggnog.

"Just like her mom," he chuckled. "Begging for it last night, but too distracted to take it." Dick lifted the glass to his lips again with a grin.

"You know I get distracted when you do that one acrobatic move," she laughed, smirking. "And if you keep laughing, I'm going to keep telling jokes. You know this by now."

"Why do you think I kept laughing?" Dick asked quietly, smiling at her, his eyes shining.

"If you two don't get in here, I'm opening your presents!" Jason cried from the parlor. There was an uproar of noise that was various people yelling at him. Dick laughed and walked into the parlor. "No, he's right. I'm holding up the party."

Damian moved over for him on the couch as Harley came in, taking a seat between Dick and Damian. Haly sucked away happily on her bottle.

"If we were holding everything up, why don't you have your presents ready to go?" Harley asked.

"Youngest passes out presents!" Jason cried. He took a swig from his eggnog as Ivy rolled her eyes next to him; she was perched on the armrest of his chair.

"Yeah Damian, it's your year," Tim said from the couch where Steph was curled up on his lap. "We've all done it, and Haly's too young."

"Oh Joy, so I get to be fourth to the crazy person, the criminal, and the imbecile," Damian crossed his arms. "No thank you."

"Wait, am I the crazy person?" Dick pointed at himself, and Damian scowled.

"Marrying and raising a child with an ex murderous psychopath," he pointed out, and Dick frowned.

"Well if you can't do it," he shrugged. "Tim, you're next in line, if Damian can't."

"I'm perfectly capable," he jumped to his feet, walking over to the tree. Dick grinned slyly at Harley and kissed her cheek.

"Works every time," he whispered. Damian began handing out presents irritably, and they tore into them one at a time, exclamations of delight and laughter filling the room.

"This one is from all of us," Damian said stiffly, handing his father and Selina a small flat box. Bruce handed it to Selina, and she tore the paper open.

"Aww!" she cried, tilting the box so Bruce could see the new plane tickets they'd bought them for to go on their delayed honeymoon. He smiled and nodded.

"This was very generous of you, boys. And girls," he added, looking around at all of them. Dick smiled proudly, an arm over Harley's shoulders.

"And we have a gift for all of you," Selina glanced at Bruce, and he went white.

"Selina, I'm not so sure-"

"-you're all going to have a baby sibling," she said gently, pressing a finger to Bruce's lips to keep him from protesting. Instead, he smiled. Jason stared at them with his mouth hanging open as Tim choked on his eggnog.

"But…" Jason spluttered, looking around; his eyes landed on Harley and Dick. "Wait. They knew!? They aren't surprised. You told them before us?"

"Yeah, and it's about time," Dick beamed. Damian stared at the wrapping paper on the floor, his dark hair still tousled from sleep. Glancing at Harley, Dick laughed a little. "This family, I swear."

"Why did they get to know first?" Jason demanded. Harley shushed him when Haly squirmed at the loud noise.

" _I_ told Harley, when she found Haly again. It's been a while. We weren't going to mention it, not wanting to… well." Selina shook her head. "Why does it matter, Jason?" she laughed. Bruce looked at Tim.

"You okay, kid?" he nudged his leg.

"Is it a competition between the four of you?" he asked, looking between Bruce and Selina and Dick and Harley.

"Why, you want in?" Dick quipped. "You're a little young."

"Definitely no kids," Steph said, putting on the Bat Symbol necklace Tim had gotten her. "For a while." She kissed Tim on the cheek. Damian pushed a large box in front of Dick. It was long and wide, but not very tall.

"It's from me," Harley told him as he tore into the paper.

"Sure, he gets the big present," Jason taunted.

"Well, he proposed," Harley countered.

"Fair enough." Jason shrugged. Dick opened the box to a framed Flying Grayson's poster.

"Yvette helped me dig around the old circus storage before the fire. I thought we could hang it up in the house, so Haly can see her other grandparents." She bounced the baby in her arms who was falling back asleep as she sucked on her bottle. Under the framed poster were a few more rolled posters, his family's acrobatic costumes, a box full of pictures from the circus, and a folded Haly's circus display tarp. "I was going to think of a clever way to display them, but I gave up," she admitted.

"This is…" Dick bit his lip, smiling a little. "Wow, Harley," he laughed breathlessly, stroking the glittering stripe on one of the costumes, his eyes a bit sad. Reaching over, Dick wrapped his arm around Harley's shoulder and hugged her, kissing her on the head. "There aren't words," he smiled, admiring the poster. "Thank you."

The poster was passed around so others could look at it, and Damian picked up Alfred's presents. He insisted they all open them at the same time. Bruce and Selina opened their presents to find Thomas and Martha Wayne's wedding bands. Jason ripped the paper off and inside his box was a custom hunting knife, his initials carved into the blade near the handle, red accents in the detailing, and Tim smiled at the college survival kit that was tucked neatly in the box, showing it to Steph. She ignored him and squealed with delight, clutching her own present to her chest, her cheeks bright pink. Alfred smiled a little.

Cassandra grinned at her own gift, a language learning program, and Damian curiously opened his. Inside his gift was a new sketchbook and charcoal set. He actually smiled in delight, and Ivy tore open the little box with the small package of seeds in it.

Dick and Harley both had one gift together. It was a baby monitoring system that could be synced to the Batcave comms.

"Great, so her crying can follow us everywhere," Jason taunted.

"It'll be better than listening to you," Harley fired back.

"Wait, who said you even _get_ a comm? Are you even part of the team yet, pigtails?" Jason leaned back on his hands, and Ivy hit his shoulder. "Ow! What?"

"I approve of her being in the cave more than Ivy," Bruce said. He shot Jason a look. "Don't think I don't know about that."

"Merry Christmas?" Jason asked hopefully.

"We'll talk about it later." Bruce looked at the two of them, turning to Damian as he handed him a present. They continued to add to the colorful paper pile in the middle of the circle they had formed around the fireplace, Damian pulled out a folder from under the tree.

"Um… Harley told me that… well she told me that I should share my drawings with the rest of you. So…" Damian frowned, sticking his nose in the air. "Here." He coolly handed each of them a sketched drawing of themselves, ranging from Bruce and Selina at their wedding kissing at the altar, to Jason kneeling in front of his bike with tools dumped everywhere and grease all over his clothes.

"They're beautiful," Selina gushed.

"Thank you Damian," Bruce said.

"Yeah, thanks you little stalker." Jason elbowed Damian. Damian scowled at him. Tim admired his proudly, and Steph smiled over his shoulder at Damian, who blushed harder.

"We brought presents, losers!" Barbara cried, swooping into the parlor with Sam and her dad following behind her. "We would have stayed home, but Dad started a fire on the stove." She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Haly who had fallen asleep in Harley's arms. "Holy shit!"

"Language, Miss Gordon," Alfred scolded, getting up to get eggnog for the three of them.

Dick smiled over his shoulder at Barbara. "Be quiet, you'll wake her up."

Barbara shushed him as she ran around the side of the couch and dropped down next to Harley, staring at the tiny baby. "Oh my God, she's prettier than me! She's prettier than _you_ , Dick she's so adorable!" She squealed in a whisper, covering her mouth. "Look how little she is! She looks just like you, Harley," Barbara smiled. Dick elbowed her.

"I told you so," he winked. Jason looked over her shoulder at Sam.

"What's the cop doing here?"

Barbara glanced at Sam and glared at Jason. "I invited him."

"You've got a thing for cops, and it's weird," he pointed out. Barbara shook her head.

"No, honey, _every girl_ has a thing for cops. We outgrow bad boys in high school," she smirked. Alfred returned with their eggnog and handed Barbara a glass. Gordon took a drink and laughed.

"Now that's how to make eggnog."

"Oh, Gordon," Harley spoke up, "the murder victim, Martinez, her brother is missing- most likely dead- and they were working with the Joker. To take Haly. Sorry we didn't update you." She shrugged, smiling. He shook his head.

" _Nightwing_ called me and made sure to tell me. Let's not mix work… or whatever that is… with the holidays. I'm on vacation for two more days," he smiled, sitting down in the chair Alfred brought him. Sam sat down on the floor casually beside Barbara on the couch.

"I can't get over how adorable she is. Can I hold her?" she asked, smiling at Harley.

"Sure, but if she starts crying, you're holding her until she stops," Harley warned. Barbara nodded eagerly and gingerly took Haly from Harley, supporting her head as she did. Haly fussed a bit and then settled down into the blankets again. Dick smiled proudly at his daughter.

"Now where's yours?" Barbara laughed, with a pointed look at Bruce and Selina.

"Actually you missed the announcement," Selina smiled a little, taking Bruce's hand and stroking his fingers with her thumb gently. Barbara's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you're serious? Bruce, you said you wouldn't!" she whispered, grinning.

"I guess it's a very merry Christmas," Gordon laughed. "Congratulations and good luck," he told Bruce.

Looking around the room, Bruce smiled. Tim and Stephanie were sitting in front off the couch, flipping through a book that Tim got and looking at the pictures. Steph wrapped a hand around his bicep and kissed his cheek, smiling. Jason and Ivy were talking quietly, the package of seeds clutched in her hands. She hid her face behind her hair, out of Gordon's view; Bruce never would have thought that he'd invite Poison Ivy into his home. Or that she'd make his son so happy. Jason laughed, and Bruce smiled a little. Damian sat in front of the fire with a pile of animals, his cats and the dogs, and Cassandra sat beside him. Damian said something to her quietly and jerked his head towards Dick, and she laughed and wrapped her arms around her knees. Bruce looked finally at Dick and Harley. His arm hung over her shoulders, his smile plastered across his face as usual; Bruce watched Harley turn her head and kiss Dick lovingly. Even with Barbara, he'd never seen his son look like that. So content. So consumed with his love for her. Bruce smiled a little. The baby in Barbara's arms slept soundly, her pretty blue eyes closed, her mouth slightly open as she breathed. Safe. Alive. Looking around at the boys and girls he'd adopted- the men and women he'd come to love more than he thought he could- Bruce smiled happily. Selina watched him, her eyes shining, and Bruce wrapped his arms around her, holding her as he laced his fingers together over her belly. _Maybe I am ready. Maybe we all are._

"Thank you, Commissioner. I'll need all the luck I can get."


	38. He's Gone

_**Should auld acquaintance be forgot…**_

 _ **Christmas Day is winding to a close, and the family cozies up in the parlor to games and quiet merriment, enjoying each other's company. Haly has been returned to them, Selina is expecting, and it's a peaceful evening for them all.**_

 _ **On December twenty-fifth, no matter the religion, everyone celebrates family and hope. Bruce reflects on the hardship that his family has been through this year, and the challenges they still have to face as they look to the future, but for the moment: silence, begging to be broken.**_

 _ **...and never brought to mind.**_

The doorbell rang, and Bruce looked up confusedly. It was getting late. Christmas day had dragged on; the paper cleaned up and the presents shown off. They all sat comfortably now in the parlor, snow falling lightly outside to complete the picturesque Christmas scene. As Alfred stood, Tim abandoned his cards.

"Don't worry, Alfred. I'll get it," he said cheerily, walking out into the hall. The old butler smiled and settled back into his chair by the windows, watching the thick white flakes drift from the dark sky. Dick resumed humming to Haly lovingly, pacing in front of the fireplace as she cooed quietly, looking up at him with big blue eyes. He smiled. On the carpet between the sofas, Damian, Stephanie and Harley resumed their game of Go Fish.

"Hey Damian, do you have any-"

Steph was cut off as a gunshot rang out in the foyer, and Barbara screamed. Bruce's eyes widened, and he lurched to his feet. Jason beat him to the door with Stephanie on his heels; another two shots rang out before Bruce had even made it through the door, and Jason fell back against him with bullet wounds torn haphazardly through his torso. Bruce's blood ran cold, rushing in his ears and pounding in his chest.

"Jason!" he shouted, looking up as Stephanie ran past him, and he grabbed her arm as he tried to support his son's weight.

"Tim!?" she cried anxiously, nearly screaming.

Beside the open door, the Joker stood with his gun still raised, Tim bleeding at his feet, his eyes closed. Snow swept in on the moonlight from the open door, and the chill washed over them all, the fiendish clown prince silhouetted in the door frame.

"What Bat-brat is next?" Joker asked quietly, a dark grin cutting across his pale face from one ear to the other. The gash on his cheek left by Dick's hand had barely healed, still stitched closed, and another long, jagged cut ran from the other corner of his mouth to his ear, this one held together with staples. A low laugh escaped his throat.

"Joker," Bruce's jaw was tight, his hands trembling as he held Jason. Stephanie choked back a sob and took a step towards Tim. Cassandra caught her arm, pulling her back as the Joker's steady hand pointed the gun at her.

"Please just let me help him!" she wailed, her eyes fixed on Tim as she covered her mouth. Joker burst into laughter.

"No no, I've learned my lesson. I can tell now that I was being far too _theatrical_ with my past attempts at cooking your geese, Batman. _Bruce._ " He shuddered at the name, a drop of blood streaking down his chin when he spoke. "Gross. Let's stick with Batman." Glaring down the barrel of the gun at Bruce, Joker grinned. His emerald hair was matted with blood on the side where his face had been cut and stapled, one limp curl hanging in front of his forehead. His eyes shone with his insanity, bloodshot, wide and unfocused. His head twitched, and then he glanced down at Tim. "Hmm. Still breathing." Joker fired another shot at Tim's head, narrowly missing as the bullet bit the hardwood floor. Stephanie screamed and burst into sobs, begging him to stop. Joker laughed hysterically. "Damn these shaky hands…" Bruce seemed transfixed, unable to take his eyes off of the Joker in shock. The rest of them were lined up behind him, Stephanie holding onto Cassandra as she stared in horror at the Joker, Barbara over their shoulders. Harley and Dick were right behind her, and Haly was hidden from view as Ivy shoved her way through them to get to Jason. She cradled his face as his fading eyes fluttered, and the Joker laughed.

"Ivy, darling, you look as good as ever. For a traitorous bitch. I'd shoot you, but I know it won't work all that well."

She turned on him furiously, raising a hand. Vines erupted from the floor, smashing the wood as they raced for the Joker, and he fired again at Ivy, hitting her in the chest and the shoulder. She screamed and the vines dropped to the floor with her, falling to her knees with a hand over the holes torn by the bullets. Joker kicked at one of the vines on the polished oak.

"Well it will do for now," he muttered and then looked up. "Anyway. I just popped by Arkham to see an old friend, my little Alice. Had to give her a _gift._ " Joker waved the gun, smiling at Damian. "Shame. She had so much potential. Her films were… Truly inspired," he laughed maniacally, and Damian shook his head, his eyes wide.

"No, you didn't," he breathed. Dick glanced at Damian, and then worriedly at Bruce. _Why isn't he doing something!? Why aren't we all doing something!?_

"Oh but I _did,_ " he held up Carrie's broken glasses. Damian choked.

"Damian he's just baiting you-" Dick warned. Damian trembled from head to foot with anger, but he didn't move. Another cold gust of wind carried snow into the dark foyer, lit by the moonlight behind the villain framed in the open doorway. He grinned.

"And you know what? She begged me for it," Joker hissed. Damian cried out angrily as he rushed forward. In an instant Bruce had grabbed his arm and yanked him back, pulling him roughly into his chest as the Joker fired the gun again, blood exploding from Bruce's shoulder as he turned, shielding Damian from the single shot. Bruce cried out and dropped to one knee, Damian kneeling below him. Selina cried out furiously.

"Bruce!" She screamed, covering her mouth, before her eyes grew livid. "God damn it, nobody move!" she shouted.

"Father- I-" Damian stuttered, panicked. Bruce shook his head as he handed Damian back to Selina, his lips tight against the pain, and looked up at the Joker.

"Stop this."

" _Beg_ me," Joker snapped, walking forward and shooting Bruce in the leg. He stifled his cry of pain, and Selina covered her mouth, turning away for a moment. The Joker was close enough that they could see the snow on his coat; the texture of his bloodied hair. He beamed down at Bruce knelt in front of him, blood dripping onto the hardwood from his leg. The gun still dangled haphazardly from the Joker's hand, his finger on the trigger. Cassandra glared hatefully at him with Stephanie in her arms, and Barbara looked on in horror over their shoulders. Harley turned her back on the Joker, towards Dick, and wrapped her arms around him, sheltering Haly between them as she trembled with her lips pressed against his shoulder.

" _Please_ ," Bruce grit his teeth, staring at the Joker. The smiling villain gazed back.

"Don't move. I don't want to kill you. You have to _suffer._ But… he waved the gun around at the people behind Bruce. "I'll continue to put bullets through their brains." Bruce tried to stand, and the Joker shot his other leg. Bruce finally let out a cry of pain, dropping to his knees again. Joker yawned. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I _won't_ kill you. I will. I just don't _really_ want to. Unlike you two," Joker fixed menacing eyes on Dick and Harley, so green in the moonlight that they burned with the acidity of the gaze. Selina crawled to Bruce, tears streaking her face.

"This is insane," Dick said hoarsely. "Even for you."

"No, _this_ seems so crazy because it's _completely_ sane," Joker laughed quietly. "When _I_ kill people- I do it with finesse. That's what people call _insanity._ When others kill people- they shoot up a school. Or a movie theater. Or a bank. This is the ordinary man's psychotic." He let out a wheezing laugh, grinning darkly. "I was taking extraordinary measures to try to kill you as creatively as possible, but _oh no,_ not _you._ You won't just _die._ The common man's kill seems to be the only solution. A straight shot is a bit _dull_ , I know. It lacks creativity. Almost too sane, and yet-" Joker raised his gun and fired a shot at Selina. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at Bruce before looking at the blood spilling over her sweater. "-it gets the job done," Joker growled.

" _No,_ " Bruce choked. His system seemed to be on shutdown. The pain, the fear- Tim seemed to still be alive, but… _Jason. Selina…_ his jaw tightened. _When will it end?_ It had been so long coming to this point. So much heartache, so much exhaustion, and for what- so it could end like this? The pain in his wounds burned his mind, poisoned his consciousness with a fuzzy haze of sleep, and he wanted to resist. He wanted to stand and fight, and end this, once and for all, but as he looked at Selina bleeding in his arms, Jason and Tim laying on the floor in snow covered pools of scarlet, he knew that if he persevered, he would do so with no one by his side as the Joker's gun eliminated his family. So he knelt as he had when he was eleven; unable to fight to save them, _in order_ to save them.

"Stop this, _now_ ," Dick said suddenly, his voice forceful as he gave Haly to Harley. Joker stared at the baby, spellbound, and then his eyes focused on Dick. Bruce looked up as well.

"This isn't about _you_ , brat," he snarled, grinning. The staples in his cheek pulled.

"You're right. It's not. It's about him. And we were always in the way, weren't we? The Robins. We always got in the way." Dick took a step forward, towards the Joker.

Towards the gun.

Harley's arms tightened around their baby, and Bruce opened his mouth to stop him, but no words came out. His vision was tunneling on his greatest enemy and his eldest son.

"This is about Batman. This is about him." Dick looked down at Bruce.

"Dick- _don't_ -" Bruce begged, finding his voice, holding Selina in his arms.

Ivy's hand crept toward Jason's, and she took it. His dim eyes focused on her as he swallowed the blood in his mouth.

Cassandra knelt near them, her arms around Stephanie as she watched Tim's motionless form across the room. Damian fixed a hateful glare on the Joker.

"Well well. You always were the bird boy with the brains. Or did she rat on me?" Joker looked over Dick's shoulder at Harley. "You were both supposed to _die._ See how it tortures him so." Joker looked down at Bruce, still watching Dick in anticipation and fear. "Here you see that the Batman is just that- a _man._ Nothing more than a man, and nothing less. He bleeds, as he always has. The mask can't make him invulnerable. But _you_." Joker pressed the gun to Dick's forehead. Dick's eyes narrowed, his lip trembling slightly.

"We gave him hope."

"You gave him purpose. If he had someone to lead, he couldn't fall. Batman would have died long ago if not for the Robins. Especially _you_ , Dick Grayson. I know all about you," Joker spat. "I know your birthday, who your mummy and daddy were, how you failed your first semester of college and then told everyone you dropped out, the secrets you've kept even from Batman- the places you've lived, the names you've held, the games you play- the women you've bedded," he glanced at Barbara. Dick looked pale, his jaw set tight.

"All this preparation, all this chipping away- it was all a show. And Harley and I were supposed to be the grand finale." Dick whispered, pained. He didn't move, the Joker's finger twitching on the trigger.

"And look at him now," Joker snapped, waving the gun towards Bruce. Dick stepped in front of the gun again, between the Joker and his father. "A few well placed shots- no, not to his person- but his sons, his daughters- his wife- that's a bullet to the heart. And you. The favorite son. I was _this- Close-"_ Joker jabbed the gun against his forehead with each word- "To destroying you. But you're strong. You truly are the original Boy Wonder." Joker twitched, his head jerking to the side. He grinned and jabbed the gun into Dick's chest, hesitated, and then pistol whipped him across the face. Dick cried out and fell to the side. Blood dripped from his lip.

"Dick!" Harley cried, stepping toward him. Haly started crying at the commotion, drawing the Joker's murderous glare, and Harley stepped back as she watched Dick desperately.

"This was all for you, Bats. From the beginning. I only wanted your attention!" Joker wailed dramatically and laughed as Dick stood again, wiping his mouth. He inhaled slowly, and the Joker smiled the way he always had. "That's right. Straighten up. Stand tall as I blow you away in front of your father. What can the Batman do? He's failed for so long, why stop now? Failed you, failed them, failed his poor parents..." Joker cackled as Dick's jaw pushed forward in anger. Selina choked and spit blood. Bruce tried to put pressure on the hole through her stomach.

Jason looked at Ivy. "Not- healing fast enough-" he gasped, squeezing her hand where he lay on the floor.

 _Everyone please just hold on,_ Dick begged silently.

"After all this hardship, after all this pain, when his sons are dead, Batman will fall. And _she-_ " he looked at Haly- "Is coming with _me_. I've worked too hard for anything less." He laughed breathlessly and shook his head, talking through his teeth as he grinned. "The _only damn reason_ I kept that stupid tracer you put on me, was so that you'd have an easy time finding your fiancee's mangled corpse. I worked too hard... Her daughter would have been mine. She _should_ have. I can't have any of my own, so why not take one and break a few hearts along the way? Raise her in my image." He smiled and gestured to the gory grin on his face, laughing. "After all," Joker grit his teeth and beamed horribly, pushing the gun against Dick's forehead. He turned shining eyes on Harley. "Any child born of a slave belongs to the same master as the mother. It's simple, really, choose your fiancee or your daughter. And in the spirit of the yuletide, I suggest you sacrifice your only child so that he- well there's no _eternal_ involved, but so that he will have the rest of his life," Joker pressed the gun harder against Dick's forehead, laughing, as he watched Harley. Her jaw tightened, and she shook her head no as tears burned down her cheeks. She felt ill. Dick closed his eyes, trying not to tremble at the cold barrel of the weapon pressed to his forehead. _Good, Harley. Keep her safe. Save our daughter._ Harley stifled a sob.

"It's okay, Harley," he whispered. "It's gonna be okay." he knew it was clichéd, and he knew it wouldn't help, but it was all he could think to say. He felt numb.

"Dick," she cried, hot tears blurring her vision. She furiously rubbed them away, terrified that in his last moments, she wouldn't be able to see him.

"Last chance, Puddin!" Joker shouted, and Dick jumped. Harley's jaw tightened, and she looked him dead in the eye as she shook her head again.

Joker's smile seemed to waver a bit, but then he grinned and shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "No matter. I'll just take her once you're all dead. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals."

Staring her dead in the eye, he pulled the trigger.

Harley screamed as the explosive sound of the shot echoed in the foyer. She recoiled away from the sound. _No, no, no_. She held Haly close to her chest as the baby wailed, the sound filling her stomach with the horrifying ache of panic, her eyes wide in shock. She couldn't bear to turn and look.

The Joker's smile faltered, and his eyebrows knit in mild confusion. Dick stood face to face with him, staring at him in shock; the villain's finger tugged at the trigger over and over, and the gun clicked empty with each attempt, still raised to Dick's face. They looked down.

Blood blossomed over the Joker's chest and he stared at it, dropping the pistol. It clattered heavily on the oak floor in the silence. He choked on his laughter and looked up at Dick before stumbling back.

For a moment, Dick couldn't figure out what had happened.

The shock hung in the silence as the Joker grew paler than ever, his blood draining from his chest. He remained on his feet a moment longer before collapsing to his knees, still wheezing; laughing dryly as he knelt in front of Dick. Wide, fading green eyes turned up, and Dick spun to follow the Joker's line of sight to where Alfred stood on the stairs, a shotgun bent over his elbow.

The butler walked straight past them, all still frozen in numb disbelief, and they watched him pause only for a moment to fire another shot into the Joker's grinning face before he dropped the shotgun, and it hit the ground in unison with the dull _thump_ of the Joker's body falling back on the hardwood. The moment was suspended in the snowy air, flakes drifting onto the gore laid out in the foyer in front of them.

Alfred moved quickly towards Tim, kneeling and checking his pulse.

"Stephanie. Get him to the Batcave, please. Dick, take Jason. Cassandra, if you would take Selina, please, and Damian if it isn't too much trouble, help Miss Ivy. Miss Gordon, if you would call your father." Alfred walked back towards the group and heaved Bruce's arm over his shoulders, dragging him toward the library. Stephanie ran to Tim, dragging him up into her arms, and Damian grasped Ivy's hand, pulling her to her feet. Dick hefted Jason onto his back and Cassandra dragged Selina after Alfred. Everyone scrambled to get the wounded to the Batcave, the silence hanging heavy over them all. "Master Bruce, I know you've been _shot,_ but it's never stopped you before. I'm old, dammit, pick up your feet," Alfred snapped, struggling under Bruce's weight as they crossed the library. He turned the hands on the clock and ushered a few of them in at a time.

Harley was left alone in the foyer, standing stock-still as she stared down at the Joker's body. The shotgun, at such close range, had mangled his face, but his jaw seemed twisted in a smile, grinning even in death. Haly still screamed in her arms, tears rolling down her cheeks, mirroring Harley's as her lip trembled a bit. Harley held her close, stroking her hair as she tried to comfort her. She was afraid to move closer to the body, afraid to be near him. It didn't feel real. She couldn't tell herself she didn't need to feel afraid anymore, and couldn't stop the flood of old emotions at the sight of him. She closed her eyes, pressing her lips against Haly's forehead before skirting around the body and hurrying into the library.

"Alfred we should get Tim some antitoxin," Harley said as she got onto the elevator and the doors closed. She was trembling slightly. Alfred nodded, his face pale, his jaw set tight.

"Master Bruce-" he snapped a bit, pulling Bruce up from where he'd slumped against the wall. The elevator doors opened.

Dick was working hurriedly to help Jason, and Damian rushed out of the cavernous room to get more medical supplies. Stephanie was cradling Tim's head, his face white and hollow from the blood loss. Alfred heaved Bruce onto one of the medical tables and yanked his shirt off of him, examining the bullet hole in his shoulder.

"Alfred," Jason coughed, "I'm not forgiving you for killing him before I could."

"How about you worry about that when you're not dying," Harley offered, digging the bullet out of Ivy's shoulder. As soon as it was out, she carefully gave Haly back to Harley and went to check on Jason.

"If you die, I'm never going to forgive you," she told him quietly, pushing his hair back from his face.

"No way I'm getting on your bad side." He gasped for air, looking up at her and grasping her other hand. For a moment, they both dropped their hard facades and savored the touch. Jason cried out as Dick finally pulled the second bullet out of his chest. "You know, I thought that antitoxin would be doing a better job." he stuttered.

"At least you're breathing," Damian snapped as he ran past him, handing Stephanie a bag of Tim's blood; all of them had extra for when they'd need it in situations like these. Damian glanced across the room, blood splattered on his sharp face.

"I'm sorry, Father," he breathed, sounding terrified as he walked towards Bruce on the medical table. Alfred pulled another stitch through the freshly cleaned bullet wound in Bruce's leg, his face set coolly.

"You did nothing wrong." Bruce acknowledged him quietly, and then turned his head to look at Alfred. "Were any bones shattered?"

"Clean hits," he answered.

"Good, then if they're not bleeding..." He sat up, his eyes fixed on Selina. Alfred supported his weight as he crossed to her, stopping beside the table where she lay. She turned pale green eyes on him in an even whiter face.

"Bruce," she choked, smiling weakly. Cassandra worked to clean the bullet wound in her stomach, having already dug it out. Selina closed her eyes and winced as she pulled the needle through to sew it shut. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, touching his face. Her fingerprints marked his cheek in blood, and she pulled her hand away in shock. "I don't think…" Selina turned her head as she started to cry, and Dick looked over his shoulder at her. She bawled into Bruce's side, his hand in her hair as he looked down at her numbly. There was no way their baby could have survived. Dick looked away, returning his attention to Tim, unable to expel the thought of how happy Selina had been when she'd announced her pregnancy. Her cries of anguish now brought back feelings that Dick only recalled in his nightmares. With a glance at Harley, he knew that she was thinking the same.

Tim was white as a sheet and barely breathing, but at least the wounds had been dressed, and he was stable for now. Dick brushed his brother's dark hair away from his face. Steph was still clinging to Tim's hand. Haly had stopped crying for now, and aside from Selina's quiet mourning, it was eerily quiet in the dimly lit cave.

Harley moved to Dick's side, checking the wound on his face as she cradled Haly in the other arm. She looked over at Selina and then down at Haly; she hadn't stopped crying since the Joker shot Jason. Dick glanced at her, his pale eyes grim as he did so. Jason cleared his throat and sat up. The wounds in his chest were healing already, stitched up to aid the process. Alfred hurried around, checking that each of them had done well, and that everyone was well cared for. Damian stood away from Bruce, watching Selina cry with hollow eyes.

"I'm sorry, Father," he said weakly, crossing his arms.

"Come here," came Bruce's only reply. Damian reluctantly did so, and Bruce pulled him into his arms. "You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." Damian froze for a moment, but only for a moment; he quickly wrapped his arms around Bruce, burying his face in his shirt and stifling a sob. His small hands clenched into fists against his father's back, and only then did he realize that Damian was still clutching the broken glasses in his hand so tightly that the shattered lense cut into his palm. "We'll have the Commissioner get someone to check out the situation at Arkham," he assured him. Harley glanced at the elevator.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone is going to have to be upstairs when the cops get here, and it can't be me." She said quietly. Dick nodded slowly.

"I'll go." He wiped Tim's blood off of his hands and kissed Harley's head, his lips lingering for a moment, and then he walked to the elevator. Alfred sighed, content that everyone was alive, at least.

"Don't want to seem ungrateful or slow or anything," Jason spoke up after a pause, "but did Alfred just shoot the Joker in the face?"

"Yes, he did," Bruce sat up a bit and looked at him. Alfred narrowed his eyes.

"Don't look so surprised, Master Bruce, I did have a life before I worked for you parents. That life happened to be in the British Secret Service and her Majesty's Royal Air Force. I killed men who had done less than him, and were still slated for termination. They had families. He did not. I _do._ " Alfred said it simply. "There was no _choice,_ and _I_ am not bound by Batman's morals." He watched for Bruce's reaction. Bruce looked around at his family, his eyes coming to rest on Selina.

"I know," he finally answered.

Alfred nodded curtly, checked on Tim, Jason, and Selina, and then looked around at all of them. "I'm going to go upstairs and take Master Dick's place. I suggest you all get some rest, after tonight." He walked to the elevator without another word, and sent Dick down once he'd reached the first floor. When Dick returned, he went straight to Harley.

"Are you alright?" he examined her and Haly, a hand on her cheek.

"I'm not sure," she whispered. She stroked her thumb along Haly's cheek as the baby blinked sleepily up at her. Dick watched her finger move, biting his lip. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, me neither," he said hoarsely, not taking his eyes off of the baby.

"I'm just-" the tears in her throat choked off her words for a moment. "I'm just trying to remind myself that she's safe now."

"She's safe. We're all safe," Dick wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his arms suddenly, holding her and Haly tight.

"It feels like a dream," she mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder. "It doesn't feel real."

"It is," Dick whispered, holding her tight as he looked at Alfred. His hand smoothed Harley's hair away from her forehead as he took a shaky breath; all the while he was counting bullets, he was only half sure. His hope lay in an empty chamber, but he hadn't been completely positive that he wasn't about to take a bullet for his family. Coming down off of the adrenaline, his hands trembled as he closed his eyes. Her free hand balled in his shirt.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," she warned. "Don't you ever…"

"I was counting," he breathed. "The odds were in my favor," Dick chuckled anxiously and held her tighter, and Haly nosed her face into his chest.

"I don't care." She shook her head. "I thought I was going to lose you. Please," she tucked her head against his shoulder, "don't do that again."

"I will never do that again," he promised, his voice cracking as his hands shook in her hair. "I'll never leave you."

"Thank you." She closed her eyes. "And I'm _so_ sorry." She didn't know what she was apologizing for. That she knew this is how he'd felt when she left him. That it was her relationship with the Joker that had caused this. That she hadn't been able to choose, to do anything. She squeezed her eyes tighter shut, trying to hold in the tears. Dick took her face in his hands, making her look at him.

"Harley, we're ok. We're all ok. And... And he can't hurt us anymore," Dick breathed, looking in her eyes. "You're ok, I'm ok, and our baby... She's ok. It's all gonna be alright," Dick smiled a little, and then leaned his head against her's, their lips brushing for a moment before he leaned away. His thumb trailed over her cheek, and Haly snuggled into her chest. " _We're_ gonna be alright."

"Yeah," Harley looked down at Haly, "I think so." She closed her eyes, sniffling a little. "He's gone. He's really gone." Dick nodded in agreement.

"He's finally gone."


	39. We're A Family

_**Should auld acquaintance be forgot…**_

 _ **All stories end. The Joker's did, on Christmas Day, hardly a week ago. New Years is a time for fresh starts, for hopes, dreams, and ideas; a time to reflect on the past, and choose whether to let it define you- or shape you. It's a new lease on life, this time, borne of death, thus setting the Wayne family- and Gotham City- free from the chains that the man called the Joker forged to hold it prisoner in fear. Now there is only the Batman, and the family he leads to protect his city from threat- both in the past- and the unforeseeable future.**_

 _ **...and never brought to mind.**_

"Ten minutes until the ball drops!" Selina called. She was curled up on the couch beside Bruce. Everyone was gathered in the parlor, talking quietly.

"Jason!" Bruce snapped. "Stop messing with Tim!" Jason only smirked at him as he ran by, pushing Tim's wheelchair in front of him with Steph chasing after him. Damian stuck a leg out casually and tripped Jason, nearly grinning as Jason barely missed hitting his face on the back of the wheelchair, falling forward as Tim rolled away. Steph let out a laugh and jumped over Jason, kissing Tim's cheek.

"Stop playing with my cripple," she stuck her tongue out at Jason, still laying on the floor.

"I'm not a cripple!" Tim protested. "I can get up anytime I want!"

"You won't," Alfred told him as he offered Selina and Bruce champagne; Jason swiped two off the tray. He brought them over to where Ivy was teasing Allie with some catnip on the floor. Cass snuck one as well while Alfred was glaring at Jason.

"Happy New Year everyone!" Dick called cheerily as he walked into the parlor. He held Haly in her carrier, and Harley had the diaper bag slung over her shoulder as she followed him through the doorway.

"Seven minutes until the ball drops," Damian informed them, not even looking up from his sketchbook. He was sitting by the fire and using Titus for a pillow. "Nearly late. I expected nothing less from you, Richard."

"It wasn't Dick's fault, it was Haly's," Harley told him. "And we _aren't_ late."

"Seven minutes to spare," Dick smiled, putting Haly's carrier down on the table. She was quiet as she slept, and he smiled broader. "Are we too late for champagne?" He ran a hand through his hair as he took his stocking cap off, and beamed when Alfred handed him a glass.

"Hi Alfred!" Harley gave him a hug before grabbing some champagne for herself. She almost spilled it when Barbara jolted her as she hugged her.

"Oh my gosh look at the three of you!" she squealed.

"Is she drunk?" Harley mouthed at Jason. He nodded as he smiled into his drink.

"Jesus, Babs, cool it on the champagne, alright?" Dick laughed. "And lower your voice. She's still sleeping. Hopefully," he added, taking away Barbara's glass. Harley laughed as she untangled herself from Barbara.

"I'm sorry." Sam came up and helped her, and Barbara immediately draped herself over him. Dick put a finger to his lips, his eyebrows raised as he smiled at Barbara.

"Shh," he urged, sitting down on the couch beside Bruce. Haly slept in her baby carrier on the coffee table in front of him, and he yawned. "Be glad you missed the baby years with us, Bruce," Dick elbowed him, and then immediately regretted what he'd said. "I… I'm sorry, Bruce, I didn't mean-"

"-It's okay, Dick." Selina smiled a little, resting a hand on Bruce's chest. "We're going to be trying again."

"Well Haly will need her…" Harley paused. "Oh my God, you're her grandmother. You're a grandmother."

"I'm a grandma," Selina whined. Bruce smiled at her.

"You're pretty good looking for a grandma," he commented and kissed her cheek.

"I am _not_ calling you mom," Jason added.

"We don't even call Bruce _dad_ ," Tim pointed out.

"I do," Damian interjected.

"Demon aside," Tim waved a hand. "Why would we call Selina _mom_?"

"I don't expect you to," she shrugged. Dick stood up and stretched.

"Aw, but we don't want you to be left out, Ma," Dick kissed her cheek and hugged her over the back of the couch. Selina laughed.

"Five minutes!" Steph cried happily. Tim's wheelchair was parked near the couch, and she was sitting in his lap sipping champagne. She'd put a Happy New Years hat on Tim's head, and there was a torn up one beside Damian.

"I can't believe a year has gone by," Dick sighed, wrapping his arm around Harley. Barbara stared at him.

"Oh my God look how much we've grown!" She wailed, sniffling as her eyes filled with tears. Bruce glanced up at Barbara as she voiced what they all were thinking, and then he looked around the room. A calm feeling had settled over the gathered party. They all felt it. The nostalgia and melancholy happiness that came with the holiday season. Barbara squeezed her cheeks and looked at Sam. "I've never seen the Himalayas," she cried, and then grabbed his face. "We have to go before I die!"

"Okay, Babs, you're not gonna die," Dick laughed.

"This year went so fast," she whimpered.

"Besides," Harley shrugged, "even if you die, who in this family has actually _stayed_ dead?"

"True," Damian shrugged.

"What?" Sam looked around, and Jason cleared his throat awkwardly.

"It _is_ miraculous that we somehow _all_ survived the Joker's attack," Damian said quietly. For a brief moment, they all fell silent again. The events of Christmas Day, barely even a week ago, had haunted their nightmares, but that's all they were- dreams. It felt as if, though it was only a few days ago, the death of the Joker had all been some illusion. A nightmare, forgotten in waking but always remembered in the dark.

"A miracle," Steph agreed, stroking Tim's cheek as she broke the silence.

Dick shook his head. "No, it was _Alfred_ ," he laughed.

"Oh no," Harley mock cried, "whatever shall we do without all the excitement of chasing the Joker down?"

"I can do without," Dick scoffed.

"And I can do without you offering to be shot in the head." Harley glared at him.

"I knew it was empty," he said quietly, smiling a little. Harley rolled her eyes and Dick laughed. "How many times do I have to say it? It was a policeman's gun- twelve shots, and his habit is to pull the trigger twice, at least- two for Carrie, two at Tim, two to Jason, two shots to Ivy-" Dick ticked off on his fingers. "Then three to Bruce, and one to Selina. All I had to bet on was that he wasn't bluffing about Carrie." Dick glanced at Damian, who pretended to shrug indifferently. Jason narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, wow, you can count," he yawned sarcastically. Tim kicked him.

"Shut up. Even I'm a little bit impressed. Though it was still a risk, what if he hadn't shot Carrie twice?" Tim glanced at Dick. He shrugged.

"Then I would have ducked."

"Good because I would have kicked your ass if you died," Harley warned.

"Two minutes to go," Damian commented, looking up at them.

"Aw, Damian and Cass have no one to kiss when the ball drops," Jason taunted. "Looks like they'll have to kiss each other."

"Sorry, Todd, you're the only one who takes someone's second helpings," Damian sneered. "Your girlfriend does know about Cass… and the others, right?" Jason's eyes narrowed.

"I could just rip your-" He cut off when Ivy smacked him on the back of the head.

"You don't get to yell at him because you're an ass."

"I like her," Damian smirked.

"Ok this is how it works," Barbara raised a hand. "I kiss Sam and then y'all figure yourselves out. I think Harley gets to kiss Dick and then Dick kisses Jay-"

"- _what_!?" Dick cried, choking on his champagne.

"-and then Bruce kisses Selina, and I kiss Sam. Oh yeah Tim and Steph."

"Barbara," Harley laughed, "you can't kiss Sam twice. And how about I kiss my own fiance without sharing him?"

"But then who will Jason kiss?" She slapped a palm against her forehead. "Duh. Oh wait, Ivy's here too. Huh. Would ya look at that," Barbara shrugged.

"How about we stop worrying about the kissing?" Tim begged. Haly began to cry as she woke up, and Dick sighed slowly.

"I didn't do it!" Tim and Jason cried in unison.

"Neither of you did." Harley picked her up out of the carrier. "She just wants attention."

"And I'll certainly give it to her," Dick beamed, standing and moving to Harley. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her cheek.

"Shhh!" Stephanie hissed, grabbing the remote control. "The countdown's on!"

Haly quieted as the newscaster began to count the seconds down to the new year, beaming. "Ten!"

"Nine!" Stephanie cried, and Cassandra smiled. She felt relaxed. A word she had only ever used around this family. Her family. It was a feeling she'd never known she'd been missing out on until she'd met these people. That and happiness. Even watching them happy with someone else, was better than being alone. She knew what being alone was, and this wasn't it. This was being surrounded by family. By people she loved.

 _Eight._

"Ocho!" Barbara shouted, clinging to Sam. He chuckled, sweeping her onto his lap so she wouldn't fall. She kissed his cheek. Her ginger hair was tousled as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "My hero," she hiccuped. "What would I do without you?" Barbara stroked his face. Sam smiled lovingly and rested his forehead against hers. Barbara kissed him sloppily, and Sam laughed as she looked around drunkenly, beaming proudly at the gathered group sitting around the dimly lit parlor. He'd graduated from law school and had a promising future in the DA's office before he'd switched tracks to become a police officer. He'd been looking for something, and he'd found it. He hadn't talked to Barbara about it yet, but he'd been considering starting backup at the DA's office. He knew Gotham's streets were safe. A fire crackled in the hearth and music played softly in the background, and Barbara felt Sam's hand tighten in hers. He was there. They were all there.

 _Seven._

Tim set his and Steph's empty glasses aside. She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. Steph hadn't stopped checking on him; she couldn't. She'd been so close to losing him that she had to keep making sure he was really there. Everything about him still ached, and the wheelchair was a nuisance- only Dick sympathized with him- but he didn't dare complain. When he'd regained consciousness, the look on Steph's face had stopped him from being able to make any comment as she'd hugged him. He'd realized how close it'd actually been; how close he'd been to leaving behind everything. He looked down at her and knew he didn't want the possibility of never telling her.

 _Six._

Damian watched Tim and Stephanie with mild curiosity. His brothers were everything to him. _These people_ were his everything. He never thought he'd have a family, and he would have had no problem admitting it- if Alfred hadn't killed the Joker, _he_ would have. Enough was enough. And… _Carrie._ His eyes watered a bit and he looked around the room, smiling a little. _Everything we've lost… we've gained twofold._ His old life, he finally felt, could be forgotten. If not completely dismissed, then he was at least at peace with it. He could live this life now, this life surrounded by these people just like him; his father, his brothers, his friends- his family.

 _Five._

Jason's fingers tapped a beat on Ivy's leg as they listened to the countdown. For once, he was at ease with his family. He didn't want to taunt one of them, or hurt one of them, or leave. He only gave Damian a hard time because he didn't want him to end up like Bruce or himself. They all could use a little more Grayson in them, and that was why he resented Dick. But not tonight. Dick had fought long enough for the happiness he finally held, and even Tim had manned up enough to be with Stephanie. The Joker was finally gone; Bruce was even smiling. Jason almost felt like he was a part of everything, not the screw up. Ivy rested her hand over his as she looked around the room. She'd expected it, and was always still waiting for it a little: the disapproval. No one in the room had judged her for who she was when Jason had started bringing her around. She never would have guessed the place she'd truly be accepted would be the Batfamily. The people just as broken as her, yet they'd all found each other. She never imagined she'd find someone as equally messed up as her, or that she'd want to stay with him.

 _Four._

The tension in the room heightened with each number, and Alfred stood by the door with a fresh bottle of champagne just as he always had, waiting for the New Year. He was ready to part with the old one, of course, but he couldn't help looking back on years past; he'd watched Bruce in this very parlor with his parents, with girlfriends, with Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian- each year the family growing and each year the boy he'd raised aging as Alfred himself grew wearier, always fading into the background. This year had seen new love, new life, and new friends the likes of which he'd never expected, but Alfred allowed himself a small smile, watching the family that had grown from Bruce's loss.

 _Three._

Bruce turned his head, his light, crystalline eyes sweeping over the group. All different walks of life, and all a family of his own. Of _each others._ He smiled. Genuinely, sincerely, _smiled._ No matter what was thrown at them, no matter what could possibly happen, they always had each other. Selina rested a hand on his leg, and he felt the gentle, rose-petal softness of her lips against his cheek; Bruce sighed deeply and turned his head to look at the painting over the fireplace. _We're a family. A lot's happened, mother,_ he thought calmly, his mind at ease. _We all found each other. I got married, Damian fell in love, Jason came home, and who could have imagined- Dick started his own._

 _Two._

Dick whispered softly to Haly, stroking one pink cheek with his finger. She looked so much like Harley. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder as he smiled that same, stupid, beautiful grin that she'd fallen in love with the first time he'd walked into her office. She'd tried so hard not to fall for him, but fall she did, literally and figuratively. She leaned her head against his, grinning. He was looking at her the way that always made her feel like she was flying, and as their lips met, her heart soared.

 _One._


	40. Author's Notes: Take V

HI GUYS!  
This is the last Author's Notes for _Harleywing_ (cry, sob, sniffle), but we have a little surprise for you! The introduction of our new series. BUT FIRST!

Hi! We've got stuff. Some new full fledged freakin updates. We are on a few different sites: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and , and you can find us by searching Grayson and Quinn on both. Another point of interest: our Deviantart account will _not exist_ after New Year's.

And now, the THANK YOUS! Because you guys deserve them. Our Instagram followers have slingshotted us up almost into 500 followers (which, for fanfic writers, is a feat haha), and Tumblr and Fanfic are getting up there too. All of you guys are phenomenal. Seriously, I don't think we'd have finished _Harleywing_ as nicely as we did without you all, so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you all so much.

In other news, _Harleywing_ has ended, but that doesn't mean we're through with you! No way. We can't leave them alone either, and we write one shots when we miss them. So Merry Christmas we have those for you! (And they'll probably keep coming forever and ever and ever...)

2016 is going to bring about the apocalypse- in the form of a new series, _Gotham: Dystopia_. It's technically a trilogy but more on that later. We'll begin posting the first book, _Gotham: Quarantine._ (Spoilers, Doctor, Harleywing is still in it! How could we give up our favorite ship!?)

In addition to the new series, next year I'll start work on a _Harleywing_ comic, drawn by me and written by us, of course. There's not much detail on this yet, I'll most likely just start with the first book. I may continue, I may not. Regardless, there's a bright future for Grayson & Quinn, Avacados at Comics!

Here is another little surprise, for y'all on tumblr and fanfic only (Yeah, DeviantArt. Fuck you). Please enjoy this sneak peak from the first chapter of our newest series _Gotham: Dystopia_ , to be published on January first. Thank you all for sticking by our sides. We're with you till the end of the line! Enjoy!

Grayson & Quinn

* * *

 _ **Gotham: Quarantine**_

 **Chapter 01: The One Where They've Never Met**

Jason Todd set two glasses on the surface of the card table, and Dick Grayson looked up. Jason pushed aside the items that Dick had set out to prepare for patrol with a half empty bottle of scotch.

"Swan Queen won't come out of the lab, and the little devil is with his old man, so it's just the two of us," Jason told Dick. "Thought we could do a little celebrating."

Narrowing his eyes, Dick glanced down at the glasses. "Where did you find this? Does the 'old man' know you have it?" He again looked up at his brother, leaning back in his chair. The dim light in the room cast a shadow over Jason's strong features as he took his Red Hood helmet off, and he placed it on the table as he sat in the chair across from Dick. He still wore his mask underneath his helmet, a habit he'd picked up.

"The almighty Bat doesn't need to know everything." Jason poured a measure into each glass. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want it. I'm not wasting this on someone who isn't going to appreciate it."

"Oh I can appreciate it," Dick laughed a little, putting down the tranquilizer gun that he'd been cleaning and taking a glass, examining it in his hands. He didn't have to ask what they were celebrating. Every citizen in Gotham had kept tallies on their walls as the days went past.

Today marked three hundred and sixty-five.

"One year and we're not dead," Jason raised his glass, "although I'm not sure if that's actually a good thing."

"It's a good thing," Dick reassured them both quietly, tapping his glass to Jason's, the glasses clinking quietly before he took a sip and grimaced, nodding a bit. "Good scotch, too," he chuckled.

"Well it's had time to age." Jason shrugged before taking another swig from his own glass. They sat in silence in the large room, once an executive office of some kind with placid beige walls and floor to ceiling panoramic windows. The sparse furniture- a queen sized bed with nothing but a comforter and a couple of pillows on it, the card table and chairs where the two men sat, and a large mahogany desk pushed against the far wall- made the wide office seem as empty as the room of a dollhouse.

"It feels like longer than a year," Dick said quietly.

"It looks like more than a year, Gramps," Jason taunted, smirking.

"Shut up," Dick laughed. "Have you seen Bruce? He's rocking the hairline gray," he finished off his scotch, replacing the glass on the table.

"I'm sure Selina would be too," Jason added, "but I'm willing to bet she has a connection on supply run for hair dye."

"Yeah, Selina looks as good as ever. Bruce is a lucky guy." Dick looked up at the ceiling, and then back down at the watch on his wrist. "We've got time," he sighed, glancing at the door.

"I'm patrolling Downtown today. What's your gig?" Jason asked as he finished off his drink. His previous shift had come in early, so he'd stopped in to visit Dick on the end of his break.

"Arkham duty, in Uptown," Dick replied, crossing his arms and staring at the table. "With Kate and Damian."

"That's sure to be a lively party," Jason snorted. "I'm with Batgirl, Jr., _but_ I'm also with that police officer." Jason nodded at him.

"Oh?" Dick raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"I'm not on bridge duty, but maybe I can build one." He smirked.

"Hell, I say go for it," Dick stood and stretched, turning to the panoramic windows. The sun was rising steadily over Gotham City outside, sparkling on the water surrounding the island. "Why would she turn you down? You're more of a hero to the people now than you ever were. We all are," he laughed. The only light in the room was provided by the sunrise outside, painting the walls and surfaces amber. The room's emptiness was only emphasized by the lone folding table and chairs in the center of it.

Jason smiled bitterly. "What's the point of being a hero in a city you can't save?"

"The idea is to be a hero to the people you _can_ save," Dick looked at him pointedly, his deep, clear blue eyes contrasted sharply against the orange backdrop. "We can't save everyone, but what we do matters to the people we _can_ save."

"Well as long as one of them's that police officer, I'm fine with that. And you never know," Jason stretched, "I _could_ not make it through to tomorrow. Although… it would be really embarrassing if one of you had to put me down," he mused.

"We don't-" Dick cut himself off, running his hand through his hair. "Never mind. We'll be fine. You'll be fine, just don't go charging off into battle, okay?" he laughed, shaking his head. "Not without me."

"I won't go _now_ , but I am on city patrol remember? You _are_ getting old, Gramps. Do we need to take you out of rotation?"

"Jason, I'm only twenty-seven!" Dick laughed. "You're not exactly the kid you once were, either," he pointed out, picking up his tranquilizer gun and holstering it at his left hip.

"I know," Jason mock sighed, "dying will do that to you."

"At least now you can _legally_ drink that scotch."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Say hi to Barbara for me." He kicked his legs up onto the table and saluted. Dick smiled a little as he put his mask on, tucked away everything that he had scattered across the table in their rightful pockets, and then walked out into the hall of Wayne Tower. He still remembered strolling through this building when it was bustling with life and scored with the sounds of telephones ringing and people talking. _Working_. Now it remained eerily silent as he walked down the long hallway to the elevator and got on. It was little things like that that he missed. The conversation and thrum of life, hearing a radio in the background; the traffic outside of the building. All gone now. As the elevator dropped and opened on the first of the underground floors where Barbara worked in the Research and Development labs, Dick shoved his hands in his pockets and thought about a year ago. It hadn't been so quiet then, and it had annoyed him. Now he'd give anything to hear a jet engine as it left the Gotham airport, or the thunder of the trains through the city. Still, he couldn't complain.

Gotham was better off than the rest of the world.


End file.
